The new escalation in the Middle East led to the cancellation of a large number of flights. In particular, major international airlines are temporarily suspending flights to Tel Aviv. Find out which air carriers these are and how long the restrictions will last

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States, politicians and world media are saying that war between Israel and Hezbollah could start in the next few hours. In anticipation of the attack, the world's airlines are canceling flights to Israel, even though the country's Ministry of Transport says that the security situation is currently under control.

Which airlines have already canceled flights to Israel? For what period was the restriction introduced? We tell.

Read useful tips on how to stay safe in Israel for foreign citizens at the link.

The largest airlines that canceled flights to Israel

As tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalated, 15 international airlines canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv, with some suspending flights for at least a few days and others indefinitely. Among them are the European carriers Lufthansa Group and British Airways, as well as the American airline Delta.

Due to Lufthansa Group's announcement of the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv until August 9, a large number of flights were canceled, as the Lufthansa Group consists of Swiss Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussel Airlines and Eurowings.

Air France, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Ethiopian Air and Aegean Airlines have also suspended flights to Israel due to security concerns.

The last to join the list of airlines that canceled flights to Israel were the Spanish airlines Iberia and Air Europa.

The list of airlines that have canceled flights to Israel and the duration of the restrictions

- Aegean (Greece) - flights canceled until August 6.

- Air Europa (Spain) – canceled flights on August 4-7 inclusive.

- Air India (India) – flights canceled until August 8.

- Delta – flights canceled until August 9.

- Ethiopian Airlines has also canceled its flights to Tel Aviv, but the exact dates are not yet known.

- Fly Dubai (United Arab Emirates) - flights canceled until August 6.

- Iberia Express (Spain) – flights canceled until August 7.

- ITA (Italy) – flights canceled until August 6.

- KLM (Netherlands) – flights canceled until October 26.

- LOT (Poland) – flights canceled until August 5.

- Lufthansa Group (Germany) – flights canceled until August 9 (carriers of the group include Swiss Air, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa Airlines and Eurowings).

- United Airlines (USA) – flights canceled until August 9.

- Vueling (Spain) – flights canceled up to and including August 5.

- Wizz Air (Hungary) – flights canceled up to and including August 5.

Pay attention! Depending on developments, cancellations may be extended.

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Israelis are stuck abroad due to the cancellation of flights

About 150,000 Israelis are stranded abroad due to the suspension of international flights to Tel Aviv. According to the latest reports, people stranded abroad are being advised to travel to Greece or Cyprus and then board a flight back to Israel.

Importantly! Israel's national carrier El Al reports no disruptions to its operations. In addition, the company is adding flights to help passengers reach their destinations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel has opened an online form for citizens of the country who have found themselves abroad in order to "centralize information and recommendations for citizens who want to enter Israel." The ministry added that filling out the form does not guarantee a return flight or any funding.

What is the situation with air transport in Lebanon?

The United States Embassy in Lebanon urged its citizens to book any available ticket and depart Lebanon immediately, even if the flight does not follow a convenient route. Citizens who decide to stay in Lebanon should take care of emergency shelter.

British Foreign Minister David Lammy also called on citizens of the country to leave Lebanon immediately.

Currently, Air France and its low-cost Dutch subsidiary Transavia have suspended flights to Beirut.

The reasons for the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East

The new escalation in the Middle East was preceded by the following events: on July 27, Hezbollah hit a stadium on the Golan Heights in Israel, killing 12 children aged 10 to 20.

Israel responded to this terror by striking the capital of Lebanon, where the supreme commander of Hezbollah was eliminated. In addition, an attack was made on the capital of Iran, Tehran, where the political leader of Hamas was eliminated.

Hamas and Iran have vowed revenge for Haniyeh's murder, while Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate for Shukr's murder.

As a result, global fears of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah have increased amid months of firefights in the border zone.

Should we wait for the resumption of flights to Israel?

It is difficult to predict the exact date of the resumption of air traffic, because it will depend on the development of events in Israel. However, over the past year, air carriers have already canceled flights to Israel several times. In particular, many non-Israeli airlines stopped flying to and from Israel after the war in Gaza began on October 7. Most recovered after a few months.

Israel's airspace was briefly closed for the second time in April when Iran launched a direct strike against Israel.

We will remind you! Citizens of 99 countries eligible for short-term visa-free travel to Israel will be required to obtain an ETA-IL permit from January 1, 2025. The system is currently in test mode. Read more in this article.

It is important to know! Political aggravation between the countries of Latin America led to large-scale problems in the work of consular institutions in Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and other countries. Also, more than 300 flights have already been canceled. We talked about the causes and consequences of protests in this article.

Igor Usyk - Head of Migration department at VisitWorld

If you find yourself in a difficult situation abroad, consult a migration lawyer. We help to quickly resolve any issues outside the country of origin.

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