Dutch flag carrier KLM said Wednesday that it has decided, for now, not to resume flights to Tel Aviv, reversing a statement made Tuesday that it would restart service to Israel.
KLM, which operates a daily Amsterdam‑to‑Tel Aviv flight, first announced the suspension of its Israel services late last week. In a statement Wednesday, the airline said safety remains its top priority for passengers and crew.
“KLM’s highest priority is the safety of passengers and crews… selecting safe and optimal flight routes is an integral part of our daily operational routine,” the airline said. “Based on the current security situation and operational feasibility, it has been decided at this stage not to resume flights to Tel Aviv.”
The airline said it has already restored flights to other destinations in the region, including Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. Regarding Dubai, KLM said it is currently reviewing whether to resume flights beginning Friday, Jan. 30. “We continue to closely monitor developments… once it is safe and responsible, we will offer our customers flights again,” the statement said.
The announcement comes amid broader disruptions to air service in and around Israel due to heightened tensions in the Middle East. On Saturday, Italian carrier ITA Airways said it would cancel overnight flights to Israel through Tuesday because of the situation. Later in the week, ITA extended the cancellations through Jan. 31.
Earlier this month, Lufthansa Group — including Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings — said it would operate only daytime flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport because of the regional situation. The group said only a limited number of flights have been canceled and that most scheduled overnight flights were moved to daytime hours.
In addition to schedule changes on Israel routes, the Lufthansa Group said it is rerouting flights to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice.