Delta Airlines extends suspension of Israel flights through September
Announcement by US-based carrier comes 24 hours after the Lufthansa Group also extended a previously announced suspension of service to Ben Gurion Airport
Delta Airlines has suspended flights to and from Israel through September 30, it was widely reported Tuesday, the latest major airlines to delay or cancel service to Israel due to the security situation.
Delta had earlier this month announced a suspension of service to Israel through August 31, “due to ongoing conflict in the region,” according to an August 5 statement.
The latest suspension comes a day after the Lufthansa Group stated it would extend a previously announced suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman, and Erbil, affecting flights up to and on August 26.
Lufthansa Group, which includes carriers Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, and Eurowings, will also be avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace up to and including that date, it said, over fears of an escalation in the Middle East.
Air travel has been repeatedly shaken by the war in Gaza and rising regional tensions. When the fighting began in October with the Hamas attack on Israel, most foreign airlines halted their flights.
Service gradually resumed in the following months but was disrupted again when Iran launched a direct major drone and missile attack on the country in April. Some carriers resumed service, but jitters again caused many to shutter their routes in recent weeks for fear of yet another Iranian attack.
The latest cancellations come as Israel braces for responses from Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah following the late July killings of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East have prompted international airlines to suspend flights to the region or to avoid affected air space. The shifting schedules and delays have also played havoc with summer plans for many Israeli travelers and left thousands temporarily stranded outside the country.
Some of the major suspensions include KLM, which has canceled all flights to and from Tel Aviv until October 26.
Other airlines, like Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and UK budget airline EasyJet, have also suspended all flights to Israel until late March, 2025.
Others, like Air India, India’s national airline, and the US-based United Airlines, have suspended flights to Ben Gurion Airport indefinitely.
On Tuesday, Reuters reported that the British government has advised UK airlines not to enter Lebanese airspace until November 4, citing “potential risk to aviation from military activity.”
Some of the other carriers have also announced restrictions on Iranian or Lebanese airspace as well. Israel has insisted that its airspace is safe and would shutter it if and when the need arises.
Israeli airlines have continued operations as usual, prompting accusations of price-gouging by national carrier El Al, which has seen record profits as it dominates the Israeli market due to the slew of suspensions and cancellations by foreign airlines.
Reuters contributed to this report.
