Israeli flag carrier El Al will resume flights to Moscow in May after suspending flights to the Russian Federation in late 2024.
El Al Will Resume Tel Aviv – Moscow Flights On May 1, 2025
El Al halted flights to Moscow in December 2024 after an Azerbaijan Airlines jet was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile on Christmas Day. The Azerbaijan Airlines jet was traveling to Grozny, in southern Russia via the Capsian sea when it was shot by Russia, prompting an emergency diversion to Aktau, Kazakhstan. The attack, blamed on Russia’s Pantsir-S air-defense system, killed 38 onboard.
But after determining that the airspace was once again safe, El Al will resume flights to Moscow on May 1, 2025. The flights will operate daily between Tel Aviv (TLV) and Vnukovo International Airport (VKO).
When it comes to Russia, Israel likes to have its cake and eat it too. It counts the USA as its strongest ally and has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sent humanitarian aid to Kyiv. But Israel did not join its allies in adding sanctions against Russia, seeking to “balance relations” with Kyiv and Moscow.
El Al has continued service to VKO during the conflict, suspending flights four months ago only due to safety concerns, not due to political pressures. It sees a commercial reason to resume flights:
“The resumption of flights to Moscow reflects … part of El Al’s ongoing efforts to expand its destination network and provide passengers with access to important flight routes.”
There’s also a cultural link between Israel and Russia, with over 1 million people (about 15% of Israel’s population) speaking Russian (and many holding onto Russian citizenship).
While Aeroflot Russian Airlines is not currently flying to Tel Aviv, Russian carrier Red Wings does.
CONCLUSION
El Al will resume flights to Moscow next month, offering daily service to the Russian capital. Israel voices support for Ukraine but has refused to exert economic pressure on Russia via sanctions or flight restrictions. Flying via Tel Aviv will be one of the only ways to reach Russia on a “Western” carrier.
It is BELIEVED an Azerbaijan plane was shot down by a Russian air missile. That has not been confirmed. Ukrainian terrorists have a history of downing airliners in the Groznhy Chechnia region Malaysia Airlines flight 17.
Thank you for the honest truth that doesn’t meet some narratives so isn’t spoken.
Russian denial ignores the facts, which show AA missile strike, in area controlled by Russia (but threatened by Ukrainian drones, which is why AA was fired).
MH17 was the work of pro-Russian militias, fighting along with Russia, using AA muscles provided by Russia.
Sibria Airlines 1812 was shot by Ukraine (in 2001).
Why anyone would fly via Tel Aviv from outside Israel when you could go via Doha, Dubai, or Istanbul is surely one of life’s mysteries
No real reason. Connections in TLV are rare and Moscow flights won’t change it.
But Israel-Russia generates enough demand (sadly IMO).
These silly Jews looking out for their own best interest makes them look smart to most reasonable people since their survival is always threatened. Or they are the dumbest people in the world in working with a “Nazi” like the far left would have you believe in Trump.
Again, true Nazi’s existed in Germany and killed 6 million Jews. Sadly that seems to be forgotten and the word is used by lunatics to describe anyone they disagree with politically.
#neverforget
Israel lacks moral character. The photo shows an Israeli flag being waved, not an El Al corporate flag.
Matthew points out how bad Israel is by Israel supporting Putin quietly.
Israel supports Jews in Russia . What does an elderly Jewish couple living in rural Siberia have to do with Putin ?
Is El Al a western carrier? They’re definitely the pariah of the West. I would argue TK is more western than LY these days.
Apparently the black El Al flight attendant didn’t take the payout Israel was offering black jews to return to Ethiopia,nor fell victim to the Israeli border officials paid hefty bonuses for turning away black migrants trying to enter the country.(Well maybe they were adopted by a politically correct American couple,the way Chinese adoptions were all the rage at one time,before covid)Is there some ethical reason South Africa was sanctioned and economically punished for racial discriminations but not Israel?
Please keep your baseless and sourceless racist drivel to yourself.
The racist card is played in the knesset all the time,surely your comment is directed there.Just another Life long American taxpayer who is disgusted by the thought of taxes paid going to an apartheid government.
Gross.
There’s a sad number of similarities in both governments so I’m less surprised than saddened.
What a horrible country Israel is. The West gives them everything, money, weapons, diplomatic cover, and these awful cretins cannot help but ignore us on basic national security issues. A really unpleasant bunch…