Newsletter
Newsletter Support JNS

El Al to resume Moscow flights in May

Thirteen percent of Israelis are Russian speakers.

An EL AL flight lands at Ben-Gurion International Airport, March 31, 2025. Photo by Yossi Aloni/Flash90.
An EL AL flight lands at Ben-Gurion International Airport, March 31, 2025. Photo by Yossi Aloni/Flash90.

El Al will resume flights to Moscow next month after a four-month suspension due to the accidental downing of an Azerbaijani plane, the Israeli flagship carrier announced on Thursday.

The airline halted flights to Moscow in December after Azeri officials said a passenger jet that crashed in Kazakhstan had been downed by Russian air defenses as a result of regional tensions from the war in Ukraine.

El AL said that it will operate seven weekly flights to Russia’s capital starting on May 1.

“The decision was made following an up-to-date situation assessment and ongoing discussions with the country’s authorities in order to ensure flight safety,” El Al said in a statement.

The Israeli carrier was one of the last Western airlines to fly to Moscow after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine prompted global aviation sanctions.

About 1.3 million Russian speakers live in Israel, about 13% of the population.

Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) is the fastest-growing news agency covering Israel and the Jewish world. We provide news briefs features opinions and analysis to 100 print newspapers and digital publications on a daily basis.
As missile barrages continue to target Israeli civilians, Katz warns Iran will pay “a heavy and escalating price for this war crime.”

“Citizens should contribute as much as they can to the country, and the state should give back. That kind of reciprocal relationship is our guiding principle,” she says.
Army says strikes on missile production, air defenses and naval assets have reduced the Islamic Republic’s capacity to attack.
The U.S. president’s initial five-day pause had been set to expire on Saturday.
Sgt. Aviad Elhanan Wolansky was fatally wounded and four other soldiers were injured when terrorists fired missiles at his tank north of the Litani River.
Judeo-Persian manuscript honors the Montefiores and their connection to the rebuilding of Jerusalem.