EasyJet announced on Tuesday that, due to the security situation, it has decided to suspend its flights to Tel Aviv for the remainder of the summer season, until October 27. "Customers booked to fly on this route up to this date are being offered options, including a full refund," the company said in a statement.
EasyJet restored its flights to Israel last month after canceling them following the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, including routes to and from London (Luton), Amsterdam, Berlin, Basel, Geneva and Milan. On Monday, EasyJet announced the suspension of Tel Aviv flights until April 21. Now, the company is canceling all its flights for the rest of the summer.
"EasyJet's decision is a severe blow to tens of thousands of Israelis who planned vacations for the summer and the holidays," said Yaneev Lanis, founder of the easy-booking Secret Flights website. "Affected travelers have no cheap alternative for other flights and will be forced to pay ridiculous prices for alternative flights or postpone their vacation to a later date."
"In the coming summer, both Wizz Air and Ryanair are expected to reduce their Israel operations and, in light of the expected seat shortage in the upcoming summer season, we expect flight prices to continue to soar. It is important to remember that airlines seek certainty and stability for their operations, and I believe that EasyJet will divert aircraft and crews to profitable routes across Europe for the upcoming summer season," he added.
"In light of the tension between Israel and Iran, at the beginning of the week we saw cancellations of dozens of foreign airlines that most returned to flying from Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday. Air India announced the suspension of flights until next week (April 21), and United Airlines announced the suspension of the route without a return date, I believe they are continuing to evaluate their decision and hope they will return soon.," Lanis concluded.
During Saturday's attack from Iran, Israel's airspace was closed for seven hours after hundreds of missiles and UAVs were launched toward Israel. Since then, Ben Gurion Airport has been operating as usual. On Tuesday, approximately 49,900 passengers will have passed through Ben Gurion Airport on 299 international flights. In total, about 25,900 passengers will depart on international flights on Tuesday, and about 24,000 passengers will enter Israel.