Lufthansa airline group extends cancellation of Israel flights through June

The Lufthansa airline group on Thursday renewed its suspension of Tel Aviv routes until the end of June, but said it could resume some flights at the start of that month depending on the security situation in the region.

The group includes Germany’s flag carrier Lufthansa and low-cost airline Eurowings as well as SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines.

Passengers affected by the cancellation of flights to or from Ben Gurion Airport will be contacted by the airlines directly and offered flexible rebooking options or a full refund, the Lufthansa Group said.

The statement came after the European Union’s aviation agency on Friday renewed until May 1 its warning for airlines to avoid most Middle East airspace, including Israel.

The safety agency cited “risks to civil aviation” and uncertainty about the ceasefire with Iran, which US President Donald Trump extended indefinitely hours before it was set to expire on April 22.

Trump first announced the ceasefire on April 8, but efforts to bring the conflict to an end have faltered over the US and Iran’s competing blockades of the Strait of Hormuz and the fate of Iran’s nuclear program.

Israel and the US launched a bombing campaign on Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize its regime and destroy its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes across the region.

The conflict triggered massive disruptions in transportation worldwide, which have since eased, though travel in much of the Middle East and the Gulf region remains restricted.

Despite the ceasefire, the Lufthansa Group and other major European airlines have kept suspending flights into May, while US carriers have pushed back their return to as far as September.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.