Lufthansa Group Airlines Set to Return to Israel in January

DALLAS — The airlines operating in the Lufthansa Group aim to resume scheduled flights to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) on January 8, 2024.

The German-owned airline group plans to resume flights to Israel in January, making it one of the first major carriers to return to the country since the outbreak of the war in October. Lufthansa Airlines (LH) plans to restart flights to TLV from Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC), while Austrian Airlines (OS) and SWISS (LX) will also restart services from their respective bases.

The airlines will initially “offer a total of 20 weekly connections to and from Tel Aviv,” Lufthansa said in a statement. Initially, LH will offer four flights per week from Frankfurt and three per week from Munich. OS and LX are planning to operate 8 and 5 flights per week, respectively. The resumption of these services equates to approximately one-third of the group’s normal flight schedule to TLV. “This corresponds to around 30 percent of the regular flight schedule,” LH said.

Lufthansa says that the specified date for the resumption of TLV flights (January 8) is subject to change, depending on the situation in Israel. “The Lufthansa group continues to monitor the security situation in Israel closely and is in close contact with the local and international authorities. Possible flight schedule adjustments must be expected due to changing conditions."

Escalating Security Concerns

Lufthansa suspended its TLV-bound flights after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 of this year. The Lufthansa Group, which comprises several airlines, halted scheduled flights to Israel on October 9 over security concerns after the attack against Israel two days earlier.

The attack also prompted various other carriers to temporarily suspend their operations in TLV amid the escalating unrest. Airlines including British Airways (BA), Air France-KLM (AF/KL), and US carrier Delta Air Lines (DL) also temporarily suspended their flights to TLV due to the ongoing unrest.

Furthermore, the Lufthansa Group also suspended all flights to and from the nearby city of Beirut (BEY) in Lebanon on October 13. This was a result of rising tensions in the region. However, the airlines in the group have since recommenced scheduled flights to BEY. LH, LX, and Eurowings (EW) resumed flights to Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, on December 15, after a two-month hiatus.

Lufthansa is Germany’s flag carrier. Besides operating its flights, LH partially owns several other European carriers, known as its subsidiary airlines. This includes Austrian Airlines (OS), Swiss International Air Lines (LX), Brussels Airlines (SN), and Eurowings (EW).

Featured image: Airbus A321neo, Lufthansa's 600th Airbus Aircraft. Photo: Dirk Grothe/Airways. Article source: Aviation Week.