Several airlines, including United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, had already temporarily suspended their flights to the country on Wednesday. They have now been joined by Lufthansa, Fly Dubai and Brussels Airlines, further affecting air travel to the region.
United Airlines, which operates 14 weekly flights from New York and Newark, notified its customers that upcoming flights to Israel are canceled.
Delta Air Lines, which only resumed flights to Israel last month and operates a daily service from New York to Tel Aviv, canceled its flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday from JFK.
Earlier this week, Lufthansa implemented a new procedure for flights to Israel, with layovers at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus to change aircrews. However, two flights scheduled to continue from Cyprus to Tel Aviv were canceled. Passengers reported receiving no prior notification and expressed surprise at the captain's announcement.
A Lufthansa spokesperson confirmed that flight LH682 from Munich to Tel Aviv, currently operated via Larnaca for operational reasons, will return to Munich as a precaution due to security concerns and that passengers were offered alternative flights.
An Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna to Tel Aviv also turned back mid-air, landing in Sofia before returning to Vienna. A passenger relayed that the captain cited security concerns as the reason for the diversion.
Despite the disruptions, Israeli airlines continue operations as scheduled. El Al's website noted that flights are proceeding as planned, with ongoing coordination with security authorities. Israir reiterated its commitment to the planned schedule, operating under security authority guidance. Arkia announced preparations for increased flights to Athens, anticipating foreign cancellations.
The Airports Authority reported that approximately 70,000 passengers would pass through Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday, with 413 international flights scheduled. The majority of passengers were departing on international flights, while around 32,500 were entering Israel.
In April, Israel closed its airspace for seven hours following an extensive Iranian drone and missile attack.