JERUSALEM — Three major European airlines have canceled or extended the suspension of their flights to and from Israel due to the rising regional tensions, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
Italian carrier ITA Airways announced that all flights to and from Israel will be halted until January 12. ITA Airways is the only Italian airline operating regularly in Israel.
French airline Air France has extended its suspension of all flights to Israel until December 26.
Initially, Air France had canceled flights on a weekly basis, but now the suspension has been extended for nearly 45 days, from its original deadline of November 12.
Greek airline Aegean Airlines also declared that it would not resume flights to Israel until December 3, according to reports.
Several other European carriers have either canceled flights or extended their suspensions due to the escalating regional conflict.
On Wednesday, Spanish airline Iberia canceled its flights to Israel through the end of November following a missile strike from Lebanon that landed near a parking area at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. Additionally, American Airlines has removed all flights to Israel from its schedule until September 2025.
Other international airlines, including Virgin and Delta, have canceled flights to Israel through the spring of 2025.
The suspension of flights comes as regional tensions continue to rise due to Israel's ongoing military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of over 43,500 people, mostly women and children, since October 2023. — Agencies