airBaltic Plans Riga–Tel Aviv Flight Resumption

‍RIGA — airBaltic (BT) plans to resume nonstop flights between Riga (RIX) and Tel Aviv (TLV) on July 1, 2026, restoring the Latvia–Israel route with three weekly frequencies.

The airline said the decision follows a gradual stabilization of the situation in the Middle East and continued growth in passenger demand. The resumption will be carried out in line with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recommendations and restrictions set by insurers, with the carrier saying it will continue to monitor regional developments and adjust schedules if needed.

Safety-led return to Tel Aviv

The planned restart follows a prolonged suspension of airBaltic’s Tel Aviv flights. The airline’s own flight-update page currently lists Tel Aviv flights as cancelled through June 28, 2026, which aligns with the planned July 1 resumption.

EASA continues to maintain conflict-zone advisory material for high- and medium-risk airspace, including Israel and several neighboring Middle East countries, underscoring that airline returns to the region remain subject to active risk assessment rather than a full normalization of operations.

A220 operation

airBaltic’s release does not specify the aircraft assigned to the Riga–Tel Aviv route. However, the carrier operates a single-type fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft, and its own booking page for Riga–Tel Aviv describes the airBaltic fleet as consisting only of the A220-300.

That makes the A220-300 the expected aircraft type for the restored service. The carrier’s broader fleet includes 55 A220-300s, according to the company background included in the release.

European carriers return gradually

airBaltic’s planned Tel Aviv return comes as other European operators begin a staged restoration of service to Israel. Lufthansa Group has said its airlines are gradually resuming Tel Aviv flights from June, with Austrian Airlines (OS) restarting first, Lufthansa (LH) planning Frankfurt (FRA)–Tel Aviv flights from July 1, and Swiss (LX) expected to return from Zurich (ZRH) in August.

That broader pattern matters: airlines are not returning to Tel Aviv all at once. Instead, carriers are rebuilding schedules selectively, based on security assessments, operational feasibility, insurance conditions, and demand.

A conditional return

For airBaltic, the restart restores an important Riga–Tel Aviv link for business, leisure, and visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic, while keeping the schedule limited at three weekly flights.

For passengers, the key point is that the route is planned to return, but remains conditional. airBaltic is explicitly tying the service to EASA guidance, insurer restrictions, and continued monitoring of the Middle East security environment.

The broader aviation takeaway is that Tel Aviv service is beginning to rebuild across parts of Europe, but the market remains sensitive. airBaltic’s July 1 return is a sign of renewed demand, not a sign that regional operating risk has fully disappeared.