Air France, Lufthansa Extend Suspension of Flights to Israel While Delta Restarts Service
Foreign airlines are continuing to suspend flights to Israel due to security concerns, with Air France and Germany’s Lufthansa Group the latest to extend cancellations. Air France announced Tuesday it will not resume service to Tel Aviv before May 24, while Lufthansa and its subsidiaries—SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings—have pushed back their return until at least June 8.
Lufthansa said it “regrets the inconvenience caused to customers” and is offering free cancellations or rebookings. Several routes to and from Tel Aviv have been pulled from the June schedule.
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The decision comes in the wake of a May 4 missile attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group, which injured six people at Ben Gurion Airport. The strike, which breached Israel’s air defenses, prompted Israel to bomb Sanaa airport in retaliation.
A recent ceasefire between the US and the Houthis had the Houthis agree to stop targeting international ships in the Red Sea, but the group’s attacks on Israel continue.
In contrast to many other carriers, Delta resumed its daily nonstop route from New York’s JFK to Tel Aviv on Monday after conducting what it called a “comprehensive risk assessment.” “Delta is continuously monitoring the evolving security environment and assessing operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports,” the airline said. A travel waiver remains in effect through May 25.
Other carriers remain grounded, including United Airlines (through June 13), British Airways (through June 14), and Ryanair (through June 4).
