Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, a rapidly expanding list of airlines are canceling flights to Israel as the nation prepares for an anticipated assault from Iran. Air service to neighboring countries, including Jordan and Lebanon, is also being put on hold, as airlines respond to the evolving security situation.
The US State Department issued new Level 4 travel alerts (the highest advisory level) on July 31, warning US citizens not to travel to Lebanon or northern Israel within 2.5 miles of the Lebanese and Syrian borders, citing rising tensions between the Hezbollah militant group and Israel. Jordan remains under a standard Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution alert, which was issued on July 13.
Across the travel industry, air carriers are taking different approaches to the situation. Some have only canceled flights to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and other neighboring countries for a few days, while others have put their routes to Israel on a months-long hiatus stretching until next spring. Here’s the latest information on popular airlines’ operating status throughout the region.
Air Canada
In July, Air Canada pushed back the resumption of its Toronto-to-Tel Aviv route to October 15, 2024, “due to the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East.” Flights to Tel Aviv out of Montreal won’t resume until summer 2025. “We continue to closely monitor the situation and will adjust our plans accordingly,” the carrier said.
Air France
Air France has canceled all flights between Paris and Beirut until at least August 8, Reuters reports. “The resumption of operations will be subject to a new assessment of the local situation,” the carrier said in a statement to the newswire.
Air India
In a statement on X, Air India said it has suspended flights to Tel Aviv through August 8. “We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support to our passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv during this period, with a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges,” the statement said. “Safety of our guests and crew remains our foremost priority.”
American Airlines
Earlier this year, American Airlines suspended its flights to Tel Aviv through October 28, 2024. According to a travel waiver on its site, customers who booked a ticket before February 11, 2024, can change the travel dates on their ticket for free or cancel and request a refund.
Cathay Pacific
In July, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 27, 2025, “in view of the uncertainty related to the ongoing situation in Israel.” Customers booked on the affected flights “can rebook, reroute, or refund their travel without the usual fees.”
Delta
Updating a previous statement issued on July 31, Delta extended the suspension of its flights between New York-JFK and Tel Aviv through August 31. “Delta is continuously monitoring the evolving security environment and assessing our operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports and will communicate any updates as needed,” the statement says. Affected customers have been issued a travel waiver.
EasyJet
Although its flights to Israel were slated to resume on October 27, EasyJet has extended its suspension of flights to Tel Aviv until March 29, 2025, a spokesperson for the British budget carrier tells Traveler.
Emirates
Back in November 2023, Emirates suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv “until further notice.” “We are closely monitoring the situation in Israel and are in close contact with the relevant authorities,” the Dubai-based airline’s travel updates page states.
ITA Airways
Italy’s ITA Airways has suspended flights to Tel Aviv through August 10 “due to the geopolitical developments in the Middle East and to ensure the safety of its passengers and crews,” a spokesperson tells Traveler.
KLM
Dutch carrier KLM has canceled all Tel Aviv-bound flights until at least October 26, a spokesperson tells Traveler, adding that “customers with airline tickets to and from Tel Aviv and a travel date during this period will be rebooked or receive a refund.” The airline also issued a voluntary rebooking option for flights to Beirut, which is valid for tickets issued on or before August 7, 2024.
Lufthansa Group
All airlines in the Lufthansa Group, which encompasses Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Eurowings, Swiss, and Brussels Airlines, have suspended flights to several cities in the Middle East until mid-August “based on its current security analysis.” All of the group’s flights to Amman, Beirut, Erbil, Tehran, and Tel Aviv are suspended through August 13.
United Airlines
United indefinitely suspended flights to Tel Aviv starting on July 31, according to a statement from the airline to the Washington Post. It plans to choose when to resume the route “with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews.”
Virgin Atlantic
Earlier this year, Virgin Atlantic canceled flights between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv through early September. (September 4 for the outbound leg, and September 5 for the return flight to London.) “As the dynamic situation evolves, Virgin Atlantic’s flying programme is under constant review,” the airline’s statement says.
This story has been updated with new information since its original publish date. This is a developing news story, and we will add more information as it becomes available.
