Occupied Quds - (Saba):
The German airline Lufthansa Group announced the postponement of its return to Israel until June 8, while other companies extended their suspension of flights to and from the entity due to the impact of Yemeni missile strikes.
The Lufthansa Group includes five of its affiliated airlines (Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, Press Airlines, and Swiss).
According to the Hebrew newspaper Calcalist, the summer season is approaching, but many airlines continue to postpone their return to operations in Israel, in light of the ongoing bombing from Yemen and the missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport, as well as the expansion of the fighting in Gaza. On the other hand, other airlines have already begun to return.
Also, other airlines have not yet resumed operations in Israel: Air India – until May 25; Iberia – until May 31; and Iberia Express – until June 1. Ryanair - until June 4; United Airlines - until June 13; British Airways - until June 14; EasyJet - until June 30; and Air Canada has suspended flights until September 8.
LOT Polish Airlines has decided to continue suspending flights until May 26.
Italian airline ITA was expected to resume operations today, but it has extended its flight cancellations until May 25.
The Hebrew website "Ace" reported that "Italian airline ITA Airways, a strategic partner of the Lufthansa Group, also announced this morning the cancellation of all its flights to Israel until June 8.
Thus, the company aligns with Lufthansa's decision and joins a growing wave of international airlines choosing to suspend their operations in Israel, at least temporarily."
According to the Hebrew newspaper Calcalist, the Greek airline Aegean Airlines, which was scheduled to resume flights to Israel yesterday (May 19), has decided to cancel them as of today (May 20) and has not yet announced its further intentions.
The Hebrew newspaper reported that Delta Airlines has renewed its daily direct flights to Israel from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York as of today (May 20).
Delta stated that the decision to resume flights was made after a comprehensive risk assessment, and that the company continues to monitor developments in the security arena on an ongoing basis and conducts operational assessments in accordance with security guidelines and intelligence reports.
Other airlines, such as Wizz Air, Spanish Air Europa, Azerbaiin Airlines, and Ethiopian Airlines, have also already resumed flights to Israel.
Israeli enemy airlines El Al, Israir, and Arkia, as well as foreign airlines Bluebird and TUS, continued their regular flights even after the missile struck Ben Gurion Airport.
The Hebrew website "Ace" reported: "The wave of flight cancellations to Israel continues and deepens, as additional airlines announced the extension of the cancellation of flights to Ben Gurion Airport."
It added: "Lufthansa is not alone. In the past 24 hours, other airlines have announced similar steps: Air Baltic canceled its flights until June 2, while Ethiopian Airlines announced a reduction in flights on the Addis Ababa-Tel Aviv route."
It added: "Although these cancellations are in most cases merely temporary, aviation industry sources estimate that the return of these airlines to regular operations depends on two main criteria: the improvement and stabilization of the security situation in Israel over time, along with renewed passenger demand."
Meanwhile, the Hebrew-language website Passport News, which specializes in covering tourism news, confirmed that Air France has postponed the resumption of its flights to Israel again until May 25, due to security tensions in the region.
The statement read, "Air France reminds that the safety of its customers and crew is its top priority. The company is constantly monitoring developments in the geopolitical situation in the region to ensure the highest levels of safety and security on board its flights."
The suspension of flights began after the Yemeni missile launch on May 4. The missile landed near Ben Gurion Airport, causing a drop in passenger numbers.