Brussels Airlines has announced the resumption of flights from the Belgian capital to Tel Aviv, from 1 August 2026, putting an end to the most recent pause in operations since the Hamas attacks in October 2023.
One flight per week will fly from Brussels Airport at Zaventem to Ben Gurion Airport on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, operating on a Wednesday. According to airline spokesperson Joëlle Neeb, the service will be crewed in the first month by volunteer staff who are training or in administrative posts because many regular crew members have refused to work the route due to security concerns and regional unrest. Christian trade union ACV Puls/CNE had even called on its members not to handle Israeli flights as part of a refusal “to be involved in the normalisation of relations with Israel.”
Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance member Brussels Airlines joins a number of international carriers that have restarted service, while others are still in the process of resuming schedules. Would-be travellers to or from Israel should check directly with their airline for the latest updates before making plans.
Other major European Tel Aviv services that have resumed or are resuming in June include:
- Austrian Airlines flights from Vienna;
- Bulgaria Air, El Al, and Wizz flights from Sofia and Varna;
- Arkia, Cyprus Air, El Al, Israir, TUS Air, and Wizz Air have resumed to and from Larnaca.
- Prague and Tel Aviv are connected by El Al, Smartwings, Israir, and Bluebird
- Copenhagen – operated by SAS, El Al, Norwegian Air
- Cairo – operated by EgyptAir
- Addis Ababa is served by Ethiopian Airlines
- Paris is served by Air France, Arkia, El Al, and Transavia
- Berlin is served by Bluebird and Israir, while other German city connectivity should open up through a number of carriers by mid-July.
- El Al, LOT, and Wizz Air have returned to Warsaw.
- Bucharest is currently served by El Al, Tarom, and Wizz Air, and elsewhere in Romania, Wizz Air flies to Iasi and Wizz Air flies to Cluj.
- Wizz also flies to Bratislava
- El Al, Arkia, Israir, Bluebird all fly to Barcelona.
- Madrid is served by Air Europa, El Al, and Iberia
- Malaga services are offered in the summer months by Israir
Disruption to commercial aviation in the Middle East has been ongoing since February 2026, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran, prompting military conflict and the closure of the key transit channel, the Strait of Hormuz. Prior to that, routes to Israel had already suffered multiple suspensions since the Hamas attacks of October 2023 and subsequent Israeli retaliations.
