Airlines Shaky on Resuming Flights to Israel

Despite announcements by several airlines that they plan to resume flights to Israel as the pandemic appears to recede, uncertainty prevails.

British Airways has had second thoughts, and postponed the restart of London – Tel Aviv flights by two weeks from May 2 to May 16, according to Globes on Monday.

Delta said it’s resuming the Tel Aviv-New York route on May 8, but reveals some hesitancy when it stipulates, “Delta continues to evaluate its schedule and is adjusting as needed based on customer demand, government travel directives and CDC guidelines.”

Israeli carriers El Al, Arkia and Israir have said nothing about restarting passenger flights any day soon.

Israel’s bar to entry of all non-Israelis while Israelis returning from abroad are required to have 14 days self-isolation are, of course, the main reason for the weak demand and the airlines’ ambivalence.

The Ministry of Health told Globes: “At the moment there is no change in the entrance policy to Israel. The issue will be addressed in the future in the event that the fall in morbidity continues.”

Wizzair, Air India and others, meanwhile, have announced plans to restart Israel service, and so far haven’t backtracked.