EasyJet Delays Return To Israel Until 2026, Citing Regional Tensions

British budget airline EasyJet announced Tuesday that it will not be resuming flights to Israel before March 29, 2026, extending its service halt for what will be more than a year and a half.

According to a report in Globes, this represents the lengthiest suspension period by a foreign airline since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Iran.

easyJet had previously aimed to restart flights in June, but repeated flare-ups in the region forced the airline to delay its plans. The decision to stay grounded throughout the winter follows its earlier suspension in the wake of a Houthi missile attack on May 4. The situation further deteriorated with the start of Operation Rising Lion on June 13, a 12-day confrontation with Iran, ultimately eliminating any chance of a summer resumption.

As reported by JNS, customers impacted by the extended suspension are entitled to either a full refund or can rebook on an alternate flight at no additional charge. In the absence of easyJet’s services, Israeli carriers El Al, Arkia, and Israir have taken over popular routes previously served by the airline, including London Luton, Amsterdam, Berlin, Basel, Geneva, and Milan.

Unlike easyJet, several other European carriers have chosen to return to the Israeli market. Air Europa of Spain, Aegean Airlines from Greece, and Poland’s LOT resumed flights to Tel Aviv on Monday. They joined Air France, which had already restarted its route last week.

At the same time, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines opted to prolong its own suspension of service to Israel, citing what it described as the “ongoing security situation.” KLM had briefly resumed operations earlier this year before pausing again.

United Airlines, meanwhile, plans to resume flights from Newark to Tel Aviv next week, a move expected to bring down ticket prices on the popular route. Delta Air Lines is eyeing a September return, while American Airlines remains absent from the Israeli market, having not flown to Tel Aviv since October 2023.

Just last week, the European Aviation Agency officially removed all flight restrictions to Israel. And on Monday, nearly 60,000 travelers passed through Ben-Gurion Airport on 370 international flights—a passenger volume that matches levels seen before the war, according to the Israel Airports Authority.

{Matzav.com}