The European Aviation Authority on Monday canceled its recommendation, issued last month amid Israel’s war with Iran, to avoid flying to the Jewish state.
The announcement comes two weeks after the end of the 12-day conflict, during which Israel’s airspace was mostly closed or severely restricted, and follows the easing of travel advisories by several Western governments.
Israeli transportation ministry officials voiced the hope that the move would expedite the return of European airlines to Israel, most of which are only due to resume service to Israel this fall.
Although Israel has been a profitable market for foreign airlines and demand is expected to be high, most foreign carriers have canceled flights to Israel through mid- to late summer, as they have already rerouted planes to other destinations.
On Monday, Air France became the first major European carrier to resume flights to Tel Aviv, with Madrid’s Air Europa next in line to renew service to Israel on July 15. The German flag carrier Lufthansa is due to restart flights to Israel on Aug. 1.
Europe’s top three budget airlines, as well as British Airways, are not scheduled to fly to Israel until the fall.
“The reality is that most Israeli travelers have already made their summer plans and primarily will focus on destinations close to Tel Aviv, such as Greece or Cyprus,” Mark Feldman, CEO of Ziontours, told JNS.
With travel hampered due to the war against Hamas and airfares often very expensive, Greece was the top tourist destination for Israelis last year, surpassing the United States, according to the Israel Airports Authority.
More than 52,000 travelers passed through Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport on 342 international flights on Tuesday, including nearly 28,800 departing and 23,500 arriving passengers, slightly lower than the day before the war with Iran broke out.
