British Airways and Iberia Are Heading Back to Tel Aviv

Foreign airlines are continuing to return to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. Calcalist reported that British Airways and Iberia were expected to resume flights on Sunday, October 25. Both had suspended service at the start of Operation Roaring Lion. British Airways returns with one daily London flight, down from two before the suspension, while Iberia comes back with a daily Tel Aviv to Madrid service.

Other carriers have already moved. United resumed Tel Aviv to Newark in September, with two daily flights from September 9, and is adding four weekly flights to Chicago from October 26 and three weekly to Washington from October 28. It also plans Tel Aviv to San Francisco from March 30, 2027. Ynet says Delta and United resumed service last month, and Air India has announced a return in December.

Capacity toward the Gulf is also changing. From November 9, Etihad will swap its daily 2 p.m. Ben Gurion to Abu Dhabi flight from an A321 with 188 seats to a 787 with 316 seats, lifting daily seats out of Israel from 1,128 to 1,256, about 11.3 percent more. Etihad flies six daily Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi services, 42 a week, and is the only carrier flying between Israel and the UAE.

Not everything has recovered. Flydubai’s Israel flights remain suspended after an attempted hijacking of one of its aircraft, and Israeli airlines have not yet received approval to fly to the UAE. Travelers booking trips should confirm schedules directly with airlines, since reinstated routes can change quickly.

Sources: Calcalist, Ynetnews