European agency recommends airlines extend travel ban to Israel economy

The Israeli newspaper “Globes” reported on Friday that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency decided to extend its recommendation to airlines not to travel to Israel, along with other countries in the Middle East and the Gulf, in a move that reflects the continuing security risks surrounding Israel that are harming the aviation sector.

The European Aviation Safety Agency had indicated in early April that the warning in force due to “continued military activity” expires on April 24, 2026, but today it decided to extend it until at least May 1, with a pledge to conduct a new assessment before that date, according to what was reported by the “Globes” newspaper.

The Israeli newspaper believes that the decision will lead to an additional delay in the resumption of regular flights from Europe to Israel and vice versa, after many airlines were awaiting the end of the current warning for the gradual return to Israeli airspace.

Companies postpone return

Globes explained that most major European companies, including the German Lufthansa Group and its subsidiaries such as Swiss and Austrian Airlines, announced the suspension of their flights to Israel until at least May 1.

The Hungarian company “Wizz Air” also announced that it will not resume flights to Israel before next May 4, while other companies decided to postpone the return until later this year, which increases the isolation of the Israeli market.

On the other hand, a limited number of airlines resumed their flights to Israel, including the Emirates’ Flydubai, Etihad Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines.

Long American absence

The Israeli newspaper pointed out that the three largest American airlines that operated flights to Israel, namely Delta Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines, had previously announced that they would not resume flights to Tel Aviv before at least next September.

With each new extension, the pressures on the tourism and business sector in Israel increase, while its main airport remains far from restoring the normal traffic that existed before the outbreak of the war on Iran on February 28.

“Globes” newspaper indicated that the European Agency’s warning is not limited to Israel, but rather includes the atmosphere of several countries in the region. The agency does not recommend using the airspace of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and the UAE as transit routes for European airlines, while allowing operations at specific altitudes over Saudi Arabia and Oman.

This directive applies to companies operating in 27 member states of the European Union, as the agency is a regulatory body operating under the responsibility of the European Commission, with a margin of separate decision remaining for governments and companies regarding operating their flights.