Amid the ongoing tension with Iran, airlines are increasingly limiting their exposure to the region's airspace, with at least 3 European carriers dramatically altering their flights.
Lufthansa Group has announced it will maintain its suspension of night flights to and from Israel until at least February 3.
The company stated, "The continued operation of flights to and from Tel Aviv will remain in a day-only format until Tuesday, February 3, 2026. It should be emphasized that the company is working to move some of the canceled night flights to daytime hours – to ease the burden on passengers."
While the German aviation giant is shifting some schedules to daylight hours to accommodate passengers, the regional aviation landscape remains volatile as Dutch carrier KLM abruptly reversed its decision to return to Ben Gurion Airport.
Just one day after issuing a statement to the contrary, the airline backtracked Wednesday and announced it will not resume its flights to Tel Aviv.
"Selecting safe and optimal flight routes is an integral part of our daily operational routine. Based on the current security situation and operational feasibility, it has been decided at this stage not to resume flights to Tel Aviv," the Dutch company stated.
The carrier added, "We have already resumed flight operations to additional destinations in the region, including Riyadh (the capital of Saudi Arabia) and Dammam (a major Saudi port city). Regarding Dubai (the most populous city in the UAE), we are currently examining the possibility of resuming operations starting Friday, January 30."
Blue Bird Airways, which is under European and Israeli ownership, is joining Israeli airlines Arkia, and Israir in making ticket cancellation or change options more flexible.
The company announced that it will allow cancellations and full refunds via vouchers up to 48 hours before takeoff through its service center. The cancellation policy will apply to new bookings made between January 26, 2026, and February 5, 2026, inclusive, for flights departing up to February 7, 2026. The voucher remains valid for two years from the date of issuance.
Likewise, Iberia Express announced a halt to night-time flights to Israel and from it through February 6.
