Iberia, Spain’s national airline, announced Thursday that it will not resume flights to Israel before October 24, delaying a return that had previously been planned for September 11.
The move follows a similar announcement by British Airways, which said Monday that it was significantly extending its flight cancellations to and from Israel and would not return to Ben Gurion Airport before October 24. The British carrier had been expected to operate a limited Israel route beginning in July, but later extended its cancellations until August 1, and this week pushed its return back to the fall.
Some airlines, however, have begun returning to Israel. Hungarian low-cost giant Wizz Air resumed flights to Ben Gurion Airport last week.
The Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, also began a gradual return to Israel this week. Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo resumed service to Tel Aviv on June 1.
Lufthansa and Swiss are planning to renew flights on July 1, while Eurowings is expected to resume Tel Aviv service in mid-July. Brussels Airlines has suspended flights to Ben Gurion Airport until October 24.
Last month, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency extended its airspace warning for the region until May 27, 2026. However, for the first time since the start of the confrontation in late February, the wording of the notice showed a significant softening in tone, helping explain the willingness of some airlines to return.
According to EASA, the ceasefire between the United States and Iran is holding, and the situation on the ground has shifted from an active and intense military confrontation to one of “high tension” accompanied only by limited, isolated incidents.
Despite the lower risk level, the agency still recommends that European airlines avoid flying over Iran, Iraq and Lebanon entirely. For Israel, the recommendation has been lowered to a more moderate level, calling for heightened caution and ongoing risk assessments.
Airlines that have resumed service to Israel include Cyprus Airways, which is operating daily flights to Larnaca; Blue Bird Airways, which has resumed flights to Athens; Sky Express, which has renewed its Israel operations; and LOT Polish Airlines, which returned to Israel this month.
TUS Airways has resumed flights to Larnaca, Etihad Airways has renewed its Abu Dhabi-Tel Aviv route, and flydubai has returned to Israel. Ethiopian Airlines, Red Wings, Aegean Airlines, Smartwings, Azerbaijan Airlines, Georgian Airways, TAROM, SkyUp and Air Seychelles have also resumed service.
Other airlines have yet to return. Air France has suspended flights to Tel Aviv until May 27. ITA is expected to resume service on July 1, while Bulgaria Air is scheduled to return on June 4. KLM has not yet resumed operations in the region.
AirBaltic has canceled Tel Aviv flights until June 28, FlyOne has canceled its Israel flights until June 25, and Iberia Express has canceled flights to Israel until July 27. Norwegian has delayed the return of its Tel Aviv routes until June 15.
Air Canada has suspended flights until September 7, while Delta Air Lines’ New York-Tel Aviv route remains suspended until September. United Airlines has not yet resumed Israel service, and American Airlines has said it will not return before January 2027.