German aviation giant Lufthansa Group is poised to gradually reinstate flights to Tel Aviv from 1 August, aiming for a full programme by the end of October.
The airline, like others, had halted services due to a renewed flare-up in regional violence.
A spokesperson confirmed the decision on Friday, stating: “We are always monitoring the situation, and it now looks like we will be able to fly again from August.”
By mid-August, Lufthansa, freight carrier Lufthansa Cargo, and Austrian Airlines will operate 44 weekly connections.
Brussels Airlines resumes on 13 August, Swiss International Airlines on 29 September, ITA Airways on 1 September, and Eurowings on 26 October.
Flights to Tehran will, however, remain suspended.
In addition to the announcement from Lufthansa Group, a spokesperson for Brussels Airlines said: “Following a thorough security assessment, Lufthansa Group airlines will resume flights to Tel Aviv from 1 August. Safety remains our highest priority.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation in the region and may adjust our flight schedule if necessary.”
Several airlines around the globe, including British Airways and Ryanair, suspended flights to Tel Aviv following a missile strike near Israel’s Ben Gurion airport on 4 May.
Flights were halted to and from Tel Aviv after a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis landed near Ben Gurion Airport, sending a cloud of smoke into the air and panicking passengers.
Many airliners have continued to pause flights to Tel Aviv, yet Wizz Air has announced plans to resume flights on 8 August.
Competitor Ryanair has said it will not return to Israel until 25 October at the earliest, and British carrier easyJet will not return to the region until March next year.
“Operations are totally safe and secured right now. The situation can change, and it has changed a few times before, but we have a very robust system to monitor this from a safety and security perspective,” Varadi said in an interview.
He acknowledged that European carriers were cautious about their return and that Wizz Air’s presence in Israel would be “larger than all European airlines combined.”
