Several weeks after a rocket attack penetrated air defenses and struck the outskirts of Tel Aviv’s main international airport, many carriers–including both US carriers–have resumed service to Israel, though several have extended flight cancellations, including the entire Lufthansa Group.
Flight Cancellations To Israel Extended: Full List
On May 4, 2025, a rocket attack from Yemen penetrated Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defense system and US-made THAAD missile defenses, landing near aircraft parked on the runway outside Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion (TLV), Tel Aviv’s main airport, on Sunday morning. While six people were injured, there were no deaths or life-threatening injuries and the airport was only closed for 30 minutes.
The Lufthansa Group, which was set to resume service to Tel Aviv in mid-May, has extended flight cancellations through June 23, 2025. On that date, services will “gradually” resume in the Group, with precise schedules and frequencies not yet determined.
“The decision to renew flights to Israel followed a comprehensive situation assessment and coordination with relevant authorities.”
United Airlines and Delta have both resumed service to Tel Aviv after evaluating service suspensions on a day-by-day basis. United initially pulled its Tel Aviv flight through June 12th, but resumed service on June 5, 2025. Delta resumed service May 20th. Air France and KLM resumed service last week.
As it stands now, the following major carriers have suspended service to TLV through the date indicated below:
- Air India – through July 1 2025
- Austrian Airlines – through June 23, 2025
- British Airways – through June 14, 2025
- Brussels Airlines – through June 23, 2025
- Eurowings – through June 23, 2025
- Iberia Express – through June 7, 2025
- ITA Airways – through June 15, 2025
- LOT Polish – through June 23, 2025
- Lufthansa – through June 23, 2025
- Ryanair – through July 31, 2025
- Swiss International Air Lines – through June 23, 2025
Several carriers have maintained or since resumed service, including:
- Aegean Airlines
- Air Europa
- Air France
- Arkia
- Azerbaijan Airlines
- Blue Bird Airways
- Cyprus Airways
- Delta Air Lines
- El Al
- Electra Airways
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- Flydubai
- Georgian Airways
- Hainan Airlines
- HiSky
- Israir
- KLM
- Smartwings
- Tarom
- Transavia
- Tus Airways
- United Airlines
- Wizz Air
Why the dichotomy? Are some carriers being overly cautious? Is it more a function of reduced demand in light of passenger fears? Do supply chain and other logistical factors play into this? Are unions pushing back against resuming service? Insurance concerns?
In a word, yes. I don’t think any carrier is suspending service for any one factor alone, but there’s great expense involved in pausing and resuming service and some carriers are taking a more conservative approach out of a hesitation to ramp up only to have to ramp down again.
CONCLUSION
While major players like Delta, United, Air France, and KLM have resumed service, the Lufthansa Group has just extended flight cancellations to Israel. While Israel has assured carriers that airspace in and around Tel Aviv is safe, a handful of carriers are taking a more cautious approach. If your travel plans are impacted, rebooking options will be limited: if you must travel, consider the list above and that carriers have announced rolling delays in the return of service, a move that makes advance planning very difficult.
image: British Airways
Long time lurker, first time commenting.
I’m not sure which sources you’re using, but according to KLM’s own website, they won’t be resuming flights to TLV until the 30th of May 2025, and Air France has (re)cancelled their TLV flights since the 4th of May 2025 (with no info when they’ll resume).
Alex – thanks for this. I took a closer look and see the Air France / KLM flights that have been operating are EL AL codeshares, with their own services still suspended.
Insurance policies on aircraft are probably also playing a role as well.
I’ve updated this post with clarification on the Air France / KLM schedule.
Interesting that AF/KL suspended service but not their low-cost HV ‘stepchild’ …
And sadly ironic that Azerbaijan appears to already be over their J2 8243 tragedy …,.
Money talks !
HV and TO have also suspended TLV services until at least next week Wednesday (21 May 2025)… Even then scaled back to services only from Paris Orly (ORY).
Hello Matthew
TO/HV ( part of AFKl group) have suspended TLV flughts through May 20th.
Rgds.
According https://www.lufthansa.com/dk/en/flight-information flights are suspended until May 18th. Is the information of a suspension until May 31st approved?
Best regards, Mario
Currently, May 25th.
Air Europa stands out in western Europe. Not only has UX been much less reluctant to cancel but the airline resumed flights from Madrid on May 12th.
The world is still waiting for the reopening of Arafat International Airport in Gaza, which Israel bombed in 2001. The airport is completely destroyed, terminals and runways. Israel shouldn’t complain when a missile or two lands near TLV airport. That airport remains undamaged and open for traffic.
Hamas is in a difficult position. If they strike, Israel retaliates with 10,000 times the amount of force not caring if uninvolved civilians starve, die, and their homes destroyed. If they don’t strike, Israel won’t give them back their land and observe the 1948 or even 1967 borders.
Since the land they demand covers 100% of Israel’s territory, it’s safe to bet Israel won’t give it.
So yes, Hamas is in a difficult position, having vowed to destroy an enemy that’s not only stronger than them, but also refuses to commit suicide despite massive pressure.
One hope they have is to get the means to freely import weapons and rebuild their arsenal. Then they’d start another bigger and better war. An international airport will certainly help this cause.
In that respect, Hamas is like Israel. Both want 100% of the land and the other guy to get zero.
There are some people that just want their 1948 house back but are now stuck in Gaza. Netanyahu doesn’t even agree to the 1967 borders. He wants 100% of the land, just like Hamas.
Not speaking on behalf of Netanyahu. I support compromise.
What I don’t support is suicide. Giving the other side what they deserve (e.g. airport) knowing that it would be used to kill you – that’s suicide. Hamas sees any compromise as a stepping stone towards annihilation of Israel, and while they’re a dominant voice among Palestinians, no significant compromise is possible.
Israel isn’t even willing to give up the West Bank and Gaza, even if Hamas suddenly stopped existing tomorrow.
Yet another refusal to commit suicide. Infuriating.
Gaza until 2023 was the closest thing to Palestinian independence ever. Not full independence, but zero Israeli soldiers and complete self administration and constantly improving economy. This freedom gave them the means to carry out the October 7th attack.
So why no give them even more freedom, including freedom to import any goods they wish? The obvious result would be an even worse attack. Hamad doesn’t even pretend otherwise – they clearly say they’ll keep fighting while Israel exists.
What nonsense. Israel controlled the land, sea, and air borders for Gaza, as well as the electricity and water supply. They dictated who could enter and exit Gaza. They also dictated what goods could be imported and exported into and out of Gaza. Regardless of whether or not Hamas existed, that is an example of an occupation, even if there are no Israeli army boots on the ground.
And Israel does the same in the West Bank, where Hamas doesn’t exisr. Except there we are seeing the IDF and Israeli settlers work hand in hand to terrorize and ethnically cleanse the Palestinians there. Killing with impunity, poisoning livestock, burning farms and olive trees, demolishing homes, expanding the illegal settlements, etc. And then people cry antisemitism when the Palestinians try to defend themselves.
Surely tourism to Israel has been decimated and hasn’t recovered. Even with robust VFR and outbound Israeli tourism (I saw a bunch of kids fresh out of the IDF drinking and partying in Asia last week), there just can’t be as much demand.
Matt do you have any insider info on when American Airlines plans to resume TLV? At first they kept changing the resumption date multiple times, but they eventually gave up and labeled it as “Suspended.” I have no problem flying EL AL (especially since they went to 5x daily on JFK-TLV giving me several flight times to choose from). But I’d prefer to use my AAdvantage miles. Thanks!
I really think there’s a beautifully simplistic mantra; ” follow the $$$” … The only motivating force for the airlines & corporate world. The bean counters have calculated down to the penny the financial profits/liabilities in replacing/compensating a downed airframe/hundreds of pax & crew …. versus demand..
” $$$ is our highest priority that we’ll never compromise ! “
Send more rockets to Israel.
They make their own rockets! Israel Aerospace Industries, IAI, is the state-owned munitions manufacturer that makes weapons for self defence and for export. They may well rely on the United States and others for some components, I have no idea, but as far as design and construction is concerned, they’re all good.
I think Israeli law also plays a part. The ‘extraordinary circumstances’ rule does not apply if the airport remains open and some airlines are operating. Moreover, Israeli compensation levels are higher than under EU261 (€600 vs €400 for flights to W Europe).