Lufthansa to ‘gradually’ restart Israel flights from June 23

Germany’s Lufthansa airline group says it will restart flights to and from Tel Aviv on June 23, having suspended them early last month amid the ongoing regional conflict.

The group says in a statement that the decision will affect Lufthansa, Austrian, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, ITA and Lufthansa Cargo but that “for operational reasons,” the individual airlines will only resume services “gradually”.

“The decision is based on an extensive security analysis and in coordination with the relevant authorities,” it adds.

The group suspended its flights to Israel’s main airport following a May 4 rocket attack launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, and extended the suspension several times since.

The missile landed near a car park at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport and injured six people, the first time a missile had penetrated the airport perimeter.