Summary
- United and Delta have suspended Tel Aviv flights due to Israel-Hezbollah conflict in the Middle East.
- Last year, both airlines also suspended Tel Aviv flights due to Israel’s conflict with Palestine.
- Other airlines, like Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, have canceled flights to Beirut amid escalating tensions.
With tensions escalating in the Middle East due to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have decided to suspend Tel Aviv flights temporarily. The two carriers resumed flights to Israel not too long ago after months of suspension due to the country’s conflict with Palestine.
United and Delta suspend Tel Aviv flights
Non-stop connectivity between the United States and Israel has once again been reduced, with United Airlines and Delta Air Lines temporarily suspending operations to Tel Aviv following the escalating situation in the Middle East.
The Israel-Hezbollah conflict has created more tension in the region, which is increasingly affecting airline operations as well. United Airlines, which flies daily to Tel Aviv from its hub in Newark, told USA TODAY,
“Beginning with this evening’s flight from Newark Liberty to Tel Aviv, we are suspending for security reasons our daily Tel Aviv service as we evaluate our next steps. We continue to closely monitor the situation and will make decisions on resuming service with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews.”
Photo: Ronen Fefer | Shutterstock
Delta Air Lines has also taken a similar decision for its Tel Aviv flight from New York JFK, suspending this route through August 2 for the time being. The report quotes from a statement from the airline:
“Delta flights between New York-JFK and Tel Aviv will be paused through Friday, Aug. 2, due to ongoing conflict in the region. Sales of flights for DL234 on Jul. 31 and Aug. 1, and DL235 on Aug. 1 and Aug. 2. are suspended. Customers impacted by the schedule change will receive notifications via the Fly Delta app and contact information listed in their reservation.”
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
Back and forth
The two airlines suspended Tel Aviv flights last year as well when Israel’s conflict with Palestine threatened peace in the region and posed a threat to airline operations. All three big US carriers pulled out of Israel, but Delta and United made a comeback not too long ago.
Photo: The Global Guy | Shutterstock
United resumed flights to Tel Aviv in March, only to suspend them again in April. The carrier resumed Tel Aviv service from Newark in June, which was soon followed by Delta deploying its aircraft to Tel Aviv from New York JFK.
It remains to be seen how long the current suspension lasts. As of now, El Al of Israel is the only airline offering non-stop service between the two countries.
Flights to Beirut canceled, too
The current conflict between Israel and Lebanon has also affected flight operations in Beirut. It started with the Lufthansa Group, which said it would suspend Beirut flights until August 5. Turkish Airlines soon followed suit, as did Air France, Transavia, and Royal Jordanian Airlines.
Related
Aegean & Condor Join Airlines Cancelling Flights To Beirut Amid Escalating Tensions
A handful of other airlines, including Air France and Lufthansa, have already suspended flights.
Aegean Airlines and Condor also joined the growing list of airlines suspending flights to Beirut, with Aegean saying that it is “constantly evaluating the developments following the instructions of the competent authorities.”
German carrier Condor, which operates a once-a-week service with its 180-seater Airbus A320 aircraft to the Lebanese capital out of Düsseldorf, also pulled out of the route until further notice.