United resumes flights to Israel after weeks of cancellations

After weeks of heightened security concerns in Israeli airspace, United Airlines announced it will resume flights to Tel Aviv starting Thursday — marking its return nearly a month after a Houthi missile struck near Ben Gurion Airport.

With United’s return, four airlines are now operating flights between Israel and the U.S.: United, Delta, El Al, and Arkia. The decision by United stands out as a rare piece of positive news amid a continuing wave of cancellations by international carriers.

In stark contrast, low-cost carrier Ryanair officially canceled all flights to and from Israel until August 1. CEO Michael O’Leary said this week that the airline is “losing patience” over ongoing security disruptions at Ben Gurion and may reassign aircraft to alternative European destinations.

Germany’s Lufthansa Group — which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings — has also pushed back its return to Israel, now scheduled for June 15. Italian carrier ITA and Poland’s LOT have followed suit. EasyJet will not resume flights before July 1, while British Airways and Air Seychelles have suspended service until August. Other carriers like Air India (until June 19), Air France (until May 26), Transavia (until June 2), and Iberia Express (until June 5) have issued similar notices.

Still, some airlines are cautiously returning. Greek airline Aegean has resumed its flights to Tel Aviv, and Delta is continuing daily service to New York’s JFK Airport. In a statement, Delta said its decision followed “a comprehensive risk assessment” and that it continues to monitor the evolving security situation.

Former head of Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority, Avner (Neri) Yarkoni, emphasized that flight suspensions are decisions made by airlines — not by governments. However, he urged Israeli leadership to engage in serious diplomatic outreach to avoid further damage to international air travel. “This was a ballistic missile strike — something that has never happened at Ben Gurion before,” Yarkoni told N12. “The reality has changed.”