British low-cost airline easyJet announced today that it would extend the suspension of its Israel flights to the end of the winter season, and would renew them only towards the summer of 2026. This is the longest period of suspension by a foreign airline since the start of the war with Iran. According to the announcement, the decision was made with the aim of proving certainty to customers.
The move is dramatic, but unsurprising, given the airline’s conduct since the start of the fighting in the region. easyJet cancelled its flights to Israel in 2023, and since then has repeatedly extended the period of cancellation, without any interval of renewed activity.
The company’s extension of the cancellation of its flights comes after several foreign airlines have brought forward the resumption of their Israel operations, among them United Airlines, Wizz Air, and the Lufthansa Group. This week, Aegean and Air Europa also returned to flying to Israel.
Vote of no confidence in Israel
easyJet had planned to return to Israel in early June, but following the hit by a Houthi missile on Ben Gurion Airport its return was postponed to the end of July. Then came Operation Rising Lion., the twelve-day war with Iran, and the airline postponed its return until the end of October.
Now the airline has announced a further postponement until the end of the winter, signaling that it does not intend to resume its Israel operations before the Spring of 2026, at the earliest, thus expressing a lack of confidence in the ability to plan activity in Israel in advance.
The destinations to which easyJet originally planned to operate include London (Luton Airport), Amsterdam, Berlin, Basel, Geneva, and Milan. Its cancellation leaves the Israeli airlines as exclusive operators on high-demand routes. At present, it is possible to fly from Israel to Amsterdam only with El Al and Arkia; to Berlin with El Al and Israir; to London, following the cancellation of flights by British Airways until the end of October, with El Al and Arkia only, although Wizz Air is due to join them at the end of this month.
Milan will be reachable with all three main Israeli airlines, thanks to Israir’s addition of the route for August. The routes to Basel and Geneva also remain the exclusive province of the Israeli airlines. The airlines say that demand is sky-high. There are almost no tourist class seats left on El Al flights to these destinations in August.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on July 15, 2025.
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