Lufthansa Returns to Israel, When Will U.S. and Other Major Airlines Follow?

16.01.2024 - 11:45 / skift.com / United Airlines / Air France / Gordon Smith / Airlines

Last week Lufthansa made history. Weeks ahead of its major European rivals, the airline resumed scheduled services to Israel. As of last Monday, the German carrier is offering four weekly flights between Frankfurt and Tel Aviv and three from Munich. The routes mark the first time the company has operated to the country since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in early October.

The multi-brand model of the Lufthansa Group means the impact of this network decision stretches far beyond Germany. Austrian Airlines for example is now flying up eight times a week from Vienna to Tel Aviv, while Swiss is offering up to five weekly departures from its Zurich hub. Even though this represents just 30 percent of the regular schedule, the flights offer great connection opportunities for U.S. travelers.

While Lufthansa acknowledges that “possible flight schedule adjustments must be expected due to changing conditions,” it’s the first major airline to return to Tel Aviv but certainly not the last. With network decisions constantly evolving, Skift has rounded up the latest information available from some of the biggest airlines to find out when they plan to resume their flights to and from Israel:

The French flag carrier is following in the footsteps of Lufthansa with a return to Israel later this month. From January 24, the SkyTeam alliance member will operate three weekly flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Tel Aviv. Unlike its German competitor, Air France is flying widebody jets for its revived route, with the Airbus A350-900 rostered. Despite being part of the same airline group, KLM has decided to take a different approach from Air France. A spokesperson for the Dutch airline told Skift that the airline will not fly to Tel Aviv until further notice.

The Dublin-based budget airline is currently due to return to Tel Aviv from the start of February. Ryanair and its subsidiaries such as Buzz, will resume flying from the Israeli city to destinations including Cyprus, Greece, and Bulgaria. True to form, the company is offering some eye-catching headline fares to stimulate demand for the revived routes, with one-way tickets between Tel Aviv and Warsaw currently on sale for as little as €14.99 ($16.40).

Türkiye’s national carrier has flights on sale from February 16, with a twice-daily service linking its Istanbul home and hub with Tel Aviv. These will typically be operated by the single-aisle Airbus A320, although could be upgraded as demand improves. Meanwhile, its AnadoluJet subsidiary looks set to return to Israel on March 1, with a single daily service from Istanbul’s secondary airport at Sabiha Gökçen. Nonstop routes from the Turkish cities of Dalaman and Antalya remain suspended until further notice. 

Befor