Airlines Prepare for Long Pause on Israel Flights

Joe Cortez October 12, 2023

As fighting intensifies in Israel, major airlines are rethinking their strategy on flying in and out of the country for the foreseeable future.

After a terrorist attack led to outright combat in Israel and the Gaza Strip, major international airlines are pulling their schedules in and out of the nation.

The Associated Press reports several carriers – including the three U.S. legacy carriers – are adjusting their schedule to stop flying from their home nations into Israel’s major airports.

Some Cancel for Short Time, While Others See Indefinite Disruption

As fighting intensifies between Israeli forces and Hamas militants, airlines are starting to take notice and adjust their schedules. America’s biggest airlines – American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines – are all cutting their routes to and from the Middle East nation.

Of the three legacy carriers, American has not completely ruled out flying to Israel. The airline said they would only suspend flights through Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, giving them time to reassess the situation and determine if continuing flights is a safe route.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is cutting Israel flights even further back, with potential to cancel for a longer term. The carrier said they would cancel all flights to Israel until the end of October, while “monitoring the situation and making schedule adjustments accordingly.”

United Airlines is the only one who has decided to cut all their Israel flights outright due to the conflict. The airline told the AP after their final two flights out of the country over the weekend of Oct. 7, they would suspend all travel to the nation until conditions improve.

U.S.-based carriers aren’t the only ones who are staying away from Israel from the time being. Air France, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa Group, and Wizz Air have all cancelled some part of their schedule to the nation as a result of the fighting. It’s also not a unique situation airlines have had to face in the 21st Century. After the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 tragedy, international carriers have actively avoided flying over Ukrainian airspace.

Feature image courtesy: Wikimedia via Creative Commons (CC-SA-4.0 International)