KLM to Resume Israel Flights at the End of September

AMSTERDAM — At the end of next month, Dutch airline KLM (KL) plans to start operating flights to Israel again. 

Beginning on September 28, the airline will fly a Boeing 737-900 between Tel Aviv and Amsterdam seven times a week. KL flights from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) to Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) will make a stop at Larnaca, Cyprus, so crews need not spend 24 hours in Israel, given the volatile context in Tel Aviv.

KLM will depart AMS at 20.45 daily and arrive at TLV at 3.30, with the stopover in Larnaca. The return flights are scheduled to depart Israel at 4:45 and arrive in AMS at 8:40 a.m.

Airlines Returning in Q3 2025

A wide range of international airlines will resume flights to Tel Aviv. Below are some of the latest carriers that have announced the upcoming service resumption:

• SWISS (LX) joins sister airlines, restarting TLV flights on September 29.
• Wizz Air (W6) confirmed its accelerated return, resuming routes starting August 8 and full capacity in September.
• Ryanair (FR) plans to resume flights beginning late October, outside Q3.
• Arkia (IZ) and Israir (6H) maintained and expanded service throughout and after the conflict.
• Brussels Airlines (SN) announced the resumption of flights on August 13.

The Matter of TLV Slots

Regarding W6, its CEO József Váradi has declared ambitions to make the Hungarian airline Israel’s leading European low-cost carrier (LCC). According to Aviation Week, El Al (LY) has pleaded with the Israeli government to thwart W6's proposal to build a base at TLV, stating that it might jeopardize resilience, distort competition, and weaken national aviation.

El Al described the action as "an extreme step" that jeopardizes the future of Israeli carriers, the economy, and passenger safety in a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Transport Minister Regev. The airline contends that unfair competition results from international carriers avoiding the high security costs faced by Israeli airlines.

El Al is particularly concerned that W6 would displace regional airlines by snagging limited peak-hour slots.