Which Airlines Have Canceled Flights to Israel?

Several major airlines, including United, American, Delta, Air Canada and EasyJet, have suspended their service to Israel as tensions in the Middle East remain at a boiling point. The decision to extend the cancellation of flights comes after a series of aggressive exchanges between Israel and Iran, significantly impacting international air travel in the region.

United Airlines on Wednesday extended the suspension of its daily service from Newark-Liberty Airport to Tel Aviv. The Chicago-based airline was the first U.S. carrier to resume daily non-stop service between New York and Tel Aviv after the Hamas attack on October 7 of last year.

The suspension now runs until May 9 due to concerns following the Iranian attack on Israel on April 13. That escalation followed an Israeli airstrike on April 1 that destroyed Iran's consulate in Syria, killing 12 people, including two senior Iranian generals. In retaliation, Iran launched approximately 300 drones and missiles across Israel's airspace, the first time Tehran has ever directly attacked Israeli soil.

"We continue to closely monitor the situation and will make decisions on all upcoming flights with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews," United said in a statement.

Since the Israel-Hamas conflict began, air travel to Tel Aviv has been frequently disrupted. Both American Airlines and Delta suspended flights to the city soon after October 7, following U.S. State Department travel advisories about potential terrorism and civil unrest. Although the airlines intended to resume these flights, recent developments have delayed their plans.

American Airlines was the first to announce its return to Israel but will be the last to resume flights. Though schedules had shown American would return to Tel Aviv in May, direct flights were pushed to October, according to its own schedules.

Delta Airlines, which also suspended flights when the war broke out, said it intends to restart operations on June 7.

Air Canada, which briefly resumed flights to Israel in mid-April after a six-month hiatus, has also suspended its service until the end of May. No flights from Toronto or Montreal have been scheduled since the routes were first suspended on April 15.

The British budget carrier EasyJet joined the list of airlines adjusting their operations, extending their suspension of flights to Israel until October 27.

The only airline currently maintaining consistent direct flights from the U.S. to Israel is El Al, Israel's national carrier, with daily operations from New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. European airlines such as KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, Iberia, and Alitalia continue to operate flights to Tel Aviv, with no immediate plans to halt services.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have cooled somewhat since last month's tit-for-tat strikes, though the regional conflict remains elevated since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war that began after the Iran-backed Hamas militant group launched a surprise attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel subsequently launched an operation to target Hamas in Gaza, killing over 30,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

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