Several European airlines have halted flights to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv following a missile attack on Sunday, May 4. The missile, launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen, struck near the airport’s main terminal, injuring six people.
Although the airport was temporarily closed for about 30 minutes, the attack has prompted numerous international carriers to suspend services to Tel Aviv.
Lufthansa Group, which includes Swiss, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, has canceled all flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 11. The airline stated that affected passengers would be notified and rebooked on alternative flights if available.
British Airways has suspended its Tel Aviv flights until May 7, while Air France has paused services until May 13. Budget carrier Wizz Air has canceled flights to Tel Aviv until May 8, and United Airlines will resume operations only after May 11.
Israeli airline El Al, however, continues to operate flights to and from Tel Aviv. The airline has also offered special one-way fares for passengers from European cities such as London, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Athens, and Larnaca.
This latest disruption follows a series of flight suspensions after the Hamas attacks in October 2023. Many international airlines had canceled services to Tel Aviv, with suspensions extended until a ceasefire was declared in January 2025, allowing airlines to restart operations.
Last week, Virgin Atlantic announced it would cancel its route between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv. The UK airline had not resumed flights to Israel following the Hamas attacks 18 months ago. Virgin Atlantic had previously planned to restart flights in winter 2025-26.
In a statement, the airline explained, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our services between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv. However, we will continue to serve Tel Aviv through our partnership with El Al, Israel’s national carrier, on flights between Tel Aviv Ben Gurion and London Heathrow.”
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