Lufthansa Group today announced that it will gradually resume Israel flights from June 1, ending three months in which it had suspended operations to and from Ben Gurion airport following the outbreak of the war with Iran and the advisory issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to avoid flying in Israel airspace.
Lufthansa Group said that Austrian Airlines would resume Tel Aviv flights first on June 1 together with Lufthansa cargo services. On July 1, Lufthansa itself and Swiss also plan to resume their flights to Israel. In mid-July, Eurowings will also renew operations on the Tel Aviv route, but Brussels Airlines announced that it is extending the suspension of flights to Israel until October 24.
Positive signal for the market The announcement comes a day after EASA softened the language in its revised Conflict Zone Advisory for the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, including Israel. While in previous versions of the advisory, the recommendation for European airlines was to avoid operating in Israeli airspace, in the latest update, in force until May 27, Israel has been moved to the group of countries for which EASA says, "Exercise caution and take potential risks into account when operating within the airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia."
The decision by Lufthansa Group also has broader implications for the European aviation industry. This is one of the largest and most influential aviation groups in Europe, and many airlines follow its policy and adjust their risk assessments accordingly.
From past experience during tense security periods in Israel, the return of the Lufthansa Group to operations has often been seen as a positive signal to the market and other European carriers have gradually followed suit.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on May 13, 2026.
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