The latest publicly available scheduling
data indicates that American
Airlines has removed Tel
Aviv from its flight schedule until at least October 2024. The decision
comes in the wake of the notorious terrorist attack launched by Hamas on
Southern Israel
on October 7, 2023.
At the time, the
incursion prompted American Airlines to immediately suspend its routes to the Israeli
city and it now looks as though the Big Four carrier won’t be returning to Tel
Aviv for an entire year.
The Dallas Fort
Worth-based carrier is not expected to resume flights to the Israeli destination
until October 26, 2024, according to data published by aviation analytics
company Cirium. At that point, daily service from New York JFK is anticipated
to return on October 28 and run through January 2025. However, the timetable for
resumption of service remains subject to change and will be contingent on the
security situation closer to those dates.
In the interim,
its seems that British Airways is the only Oneworld alliance member airline that
will be operating routes to Tel Aviv over the summer. However, these flights
will be conducted on a short-haul-configured Airbus A321 with a layover in
Larnaca, Cyprus. The brief technical stop will enable a new set of crewmembers
to board, and will extend the normal five-hour flight time from London Heathrow
to six and a half hours.
The decision to
delay its return to Tel Aviv is primarily driven by concerns for the safety of
pilots and flight attendants, particularly during layovers in the city amid the
ongoing threat of rocket attacks from Gaza. Last year, American Airlines’
pilots' union had advised members against flying to Tel Aviv until it was “reasonably
assured of the region’s safety and security”.
While there are
rumors of United
Airlines considering a return to Tel Aviv this summer, the Star Alliance
member would also need to find a spot to arrange a stopover in order to wap
crews, so that employees aren’t obliged to disembark in Tel Aviv. According to Paddle
Your Own Kanoo’s report, Athens seems one of the most likely options for
such layovers if United Airlines does decide to reinstate routes to Tel Aviv.
Despite the
cautious approach of American Airlines, several European airlines have resumed
flights to Tel Aviv following approval from the European Air Safety Agency
(EASA). Airlines such as Lufthansa, Ryanair, Air France and Wizz Air have
already resumed operations to Israel, indicating a gradual normalization of air
travel to the embattled region.
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