KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Wizz Air, and SAS Scandinavian Airlines plan to restore services to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion amid an improvement in the security situation in the Middle East.
Wizz Air resumed flights from several European destinations to Tel Aviv on May 15, returning to Israel less than two weeks after a missile attack close to the airport.
The Dutch flag carrier will return on May 31 with a scheduled passenger service from Amsterdam Schiphol, marking the end of an 11-month-long pause. SAS plans to return after a nine-year hiatus, connecting Tel Aviv with Copenhagen Kastrup from October 26.
Despite these moves, many other airlines' flights remain on pause. United Airlines recently extended its suspension until at least mid-June. The Times of Israel reported that a group of 20 unnamed foreign airlines sent a letter to the Ministry of Transportation making their return contingent on the relaxation of existing regulations concerning compensation to passengers of cancelled flights.
Beirut will also witness the resumption of flights from several foreign carriers. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is set to return to Beirut on June 4, with direct flights to Abu Dhabi International. SAS plans to restart service from Copenhagen Kastrup to the Lebanese capital on June 6, while LOT Polish Airlines will return with direct flights between Warsaw Chopin and Beirut on July 1.
Security concerns have prompted airlines to cancel routes to Tel Aviv and Beirut on multiple occasions over the last year and a half. What started as a war between Hamas and Israeli security forces on October 7, 2023, turned into a regional conflict, causing major flight disruptions with several major airlines still reluctant to return to Israel or Lebanon.
