Delaying a previously scheduled resumption of service, Irish budget airline Ryanair extended its cancellation of flights to and from Israel through Oct. 26.
The airline had previously stated that it would reinstitute service from the end of September.
Ryanair’s announcement on Thursday came the same day that many other airlines reopened their Tel Aviv routes after having closed them for a month due to the threat of attacks from Iran and Lebanon.
On Thursday, the Lufthansa Group—consisting of Lufthansa Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss and Eurowings—resumed flights to and from the Jewish state. Italian flag carrier ITA Airways also resumed service as of Thursday, with one daily flight between Tel Aviv and Rome.
Ethiopian Airlines, Wizz Air, Bulgaria Air, Aegean, Air Europe, Iberia, Tarom and LOT Airlines have all reopened their flights to Israel.
In the low-cost market, airBaltic and Bluebird Airways have picked up the slack and taken over some of the routes to and from Israel that were serviced by Ryanair.
On Wednesday, French Jewish musician Esther Abrami was not allowed to bring her 200-year-old violin onto a Ryanair flight from Marseille to Berlin.
Abrami, who identifies as Jewish, had booked a flight to record her third album for Sony Records and nearly missed her recording session due to the difficulties she faced from Ryanair, even though her instrument fit within the size specifications for carry-on bags.
She was forced to book a flight through a different airline even after offering to purchase an entire seat for the instrument—an offer the airline refused. The artist later took to social media and posted a scathing report on X about the incident.
U.S. carriers have suspended flights for a lengthy period.
Delta has suspended flights until the end of October; United has suspended flights until July 2025; and American Airlines has suspended flights until March 29, 2025.
Those wanting to travel between Israel and the United States have to fly via El Al or book connecting flights on two airlines, stopping in Europe or Africa. This has created high demand and a semi-monopoly for El Al with a rise in prices as a result.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) sent a letter on Wednesday to the CEOs of American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines asking them to consider relaunching flights to and from Israel. He did so in an effort to “prevent the appearance and the substance of discrimination against the Jewish state,” Jewish Insider reported.
