Sunday, November 10, 2024 Major European airlines have extended suspensions on flights to and from Israel as regional tensions continue to escalate, Israeli media reported on Sunday. Italian carrier ITA Airways, the only Italian airline operating regularly in Israel, has halted all flights until January 12, 2025, according to Israel Hayom. French airline Air France similarly extended its suspension until December 26, 2024, after initially canceling flights week-to-week.
In a significant move, British Airways announced it will not resume flights to Israeli-occupied airports until the end of March 2025, having suspended operations in early August. The Lufthansa Group also prolonged its flight suspensions until November 10 for airlines including Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, and Brussels Airlines, while its subsidiary Eurowings extended suspensions until November 30. An Unprecedented Aviation Crisis in Israel Israeli business newspaper Calcalist highlighted the profound impact on Israel’s aviation sector, with heightened security concerns reducing the number of foreign airlines operating in the region.
The sharp reduction in passenger and cargo flights is affecting travel access and significantly disrupting air cargo transport. Air transport costs surged by roughly 200% last year, a trend that has worsened amid recent instability, and availability of flights has notably diminished in recent months. Supply chain issues are now also plaguing Israeli exporters.
