American carrier United Airlines will resume flights to Israel earlier than planned, restarting its route between Ben Gurion Airport and New York on July 21. The airline had canceled flights to Israel through the end of July following IDF strikes in Iran but has now advanced its return.
Initially, United Airlines will operate two daily flights, competing with El Al and Arkia on this route. A check on the company’s website showed round-trip tickets starting at $1,241 for travel from July 23 to 30.
Additionally, Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced an agreement with Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air to resume flights to Israel starting August 8, earlier than its planned mid-September return. Ticket sales have not yet begun.
About two weeks after the war with Iran ended, Israel’s Transportation Ministry reported that the European Aviation Authority lifted all flight restrictions to Israel, following the removal of travel warnings by several key countries over the past week. The United States lowered its travel advisory for Israel from level 4 to 3, while the UK Foreign Office marked Israel’s map green, lifting its travel warning to pre-war status.
Ben Gurion Airport's Terminal 1 is set to reopen on August 1, enabling low-cost carriers to gradually resume full operations in Israel. Several airlines have already restarted flights, including Flydubai, Etihad Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Bluebird Airways, Hainan Airlines, Tus Airways, Azerbaijan Airlines, Red Wings and FlyOne.
Others are planning to return soon: Air Europa and LOT on July 14, Air Seychelles on August 1 and the Lufthansa Group, including Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, resuming gradually from August 1.
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However, some carriers have canceled flights for extended periods: Air India until August 31, ITA Airways until July 31, Delta Air Lines until August 31, British Airways until October 25, Air Canada with no resumption date, easyJet until October 25, Ryanair until October 25, Air Bulgaria until July 20, Air Baltic until September 30, and Aegean Airlines, Iberia and Iberia Express until October 25.
The accelerated return of airlines like United and Wizz Air reflects a cautious optimism in Israel’s aviation sector, bolstered by eased international restrictions. Yet, the staggered resumption and prolonged cancellations by major carriers underscore the lingering impact of recent conflicts on global confidence in travel to the region.
The reopening of Terminal 1 will be a critical step in restoring full connectivity, particularly for budget airlines, but the uneven pace of recovery highlights the challenges of balancing security concerns with economic imperatives.