Nine foreign airlines plan to resume Tel Aviv routes this week, amid US-Iran truce

Nine foreign carriers are expected to gradually resume flight services to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport this week, the Israel Airports Authority said Sunday.

On Sunday, Israeli-owned Greek airline Bluebird Airways will restart a limited schedule with a daily flight on the Tel Aviv-Athens route.

Cypriot airline TUS Airways plans to resume flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Etihad Airways is expected to resume limited flight operations on the Abu Dhabi-Tel Aviv route, in addition to Ethiopian Airways and Smartwings.

China-based Hainan Airlines is expected to resume direct flights between Tel Aviv and Beijing on Thursday.

Russian carrier Red Wings, Georgian Airways, and Moldovan airline FlyOne will restart flights to and from Tel Aviv on Friday.

“We are making efforts to expand air activity and return the aviation industry to full operations,” said Transportation Minister Miri Regev. “The return of foreign airlines will allow the Israeli public to once again fly to a wider variety of destinations and increase the supply of flights.”

Advanced negotiations are underway for the return of additional foreign airlines, including Emirati carrier flydubai, the Israel Airports Authority said.

Israel’s airspace was fully reopened last week, following the ceasefire agreement announced early on Wednesday that halted the joint US-Israel military campaign against Iran for two weeks.

Over the past two and a half years, as Israel has fought wars with the Hamas terror group, Iran, and foes on other fronts, travelers to and from Tel Aviv have grown used to expensive plane tickets due to foreign airlines repeatedly suspending flight services and leaving Israeli carriers with sparse competition.

For their part, Israeli airlines have said that they are working at full speed to reinstate their regular schedules by increasing flight frequencies and seat sales.