British Airways (BA), easyJet and ITA Airways plan to resume flights to the Middle East since Hamas and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire. During the past year, multiple flights to different countries such as Lebanon, Israel and Jordan have been put on hold due to the unpredictability of the situation.
On 19 January, there was an announcement that attacks will pause which has spurred various airlines to bring back some of their flights. One of the pioneers is Wizz Air, who already brought back some connections to the Israeli capital Tel Aviv from various European cities such as Vienna, Milan, and Athens, as well as to the capital of Jordan, Amman, from 16 January.
Being more cautious than other carriers British Airways initially said it would monitor the development of the situation longer before making any changes, but has now announed it plans to resume flights to Tel Aviv starting on 5 April, initially offering one flight per day. From 20 April, the airline will double the number of flights. Tickets for the first flight, set to depart London’s Heathrow Airport on 5 April, are already available on the carrier’s website.
EasyJet has also confirmed it will reconnect Tel Aviv with London’s Luton Airport, starting 1 June, with four flights per week. In addition, the airline will offer connections to Tel Aviv from other major European cities, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, and Basel.
“We are really pleased that as of the beginning of June, we plan to resume flights between Tel Aviv and seven destinations across our network. As the first low-cost carrier to fly to Israel, we have a long history in the country and remain committed to our customers,” said Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK and Israel country manager.
ITA Airways also plans to resume flights between Tel Aviv and Rome from 1 February, with tickets already available. Similarly to British Airways, the Italian flag carrier plans to offer only one flight per day, but the airline intends to increase this to two daily flights from 16 February. This would, according to the airline, depend on the development of the situation. In a press release ITA Airways emphasized that the resumption of flights between Tel Aviv and Rome is “strategically important for ITA Airways as it strengthens the commercial, social, and cultural relations between the two markets.”
