Passengers flying to Israel and nearby countries are facing travel disruptions as a result of Iran’s airstrikes over the weekend. EasyJet, Lufthansa, and other airlines have suspended their flights to and from Tel Aviv until at least Tuesday, 16 April. Wizz Air has resumed its flights to Israel but warned that some schedule changes may still occur. Australian airline Qantas is also changing its flight paths to avoid Iran’s airspace and Virgin Atlantic has ceased flying to Israel, although it plans to resume in September.
On 1 April, Tehran’s consulate in Damascus was attacked, resulting in the deaths of a number of senior Iranian commanders. On Saturday, Iran responded by launching drones and missiles at Israel, triggering the closure of Israeli airspace that was only reopened early on Sunday morning. Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon also suspended flights temporarily. Lufthansa will suspend its flights to and from Tel Aviv, Erbil, and Amman until at least Monday, and flights to Tehran and Beirut will remain suspended until 18 April.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has issued previous guidance to airlines to exercise caution when flying over Israeli and Iranian airspace, but reassured passengers that they will continue to monitor the situation closely. British Airways plans to fly to Tel Aviv on Monday but is closely monitoring the situation in case of any changes. Since flights restarted earlier this month, British Airways operates four flights to Israel each week, stopping at Larnaca in Cyprus, where staff change over to avoid overnight stays in Tel Aviv, before setting off for the UK non-stop
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