TUI fly Belgium has postponed the launch of their flights between Antwerp airport and the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to next spring. The decision was announced last Wednesday, October 25.
According to the airline, the first flight between the two airports is now scheduled for March 14 of next year, instead of the previously announced date of December 14 of this year, as of last September, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
TUI fly had previously stated that it was temporarily halting all flights from Belgium and the Netherlands to Tel Aviv until the conclusion of December 2023, except for the forthcoming flights from Antwerp. However, the flights from Antwerp are now subject to an extended delay.
Travellers who had already booked a flight for December 14 will be informed of the change. They will have the option to rebook their flight at a later date under the same conditions or cancel their reservation if they wish.
The alternations in flight plans for TUI and numerous other airlines operating to and from Tel Aviv have taken place as a precautionary measure following the attack by Gaza’s Hamas rulers on October 7.
In response to these events, around half of the scheduled flights to Tel Aviv did not operate on the day following the attack, and a third remained cancelled as of October 9.
As a result, several airlines rerouted flights bound for Tel Aviv to Larnaca Airport in Cyprus, including Ryanair and a United Airlines Boeing 777 from San Francisco.
Notably, several airlines, including Wizz Air, Air India, Turkish Airlines, American Airlines, Air Canada, Emirates, Air France, Finland’s Finnair and Portugal’s TAP, made adjustments to their flight schedules to Tel Aviv, either by cancelling or reducing their flights to Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv’s international airport.
Meanwhile, Israel’s aviation authority adjusted air traffic routes, recommended airlines review security information, cautioned about potential delays and suggested that airlines carry extra fuel as a precautionary measure.
In light of these circumstances, Finnair, the largest airline in Finland, has also suspended its flights to Tel Aviv until March 2024 due to the ongoing situation in Israel.
Finnair will work together with the ministry and other officials when needed. We do not fly to Tel Aviv or use Israeli airspace in this situation. Safety is always our first priority.
While British Airways intends to maintain its flights to Israel with adjusted departure times, easyJet temporarily suspended flights to Tel Aviv.
In addition, other countries like China, Hong Kong, and South Korea cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv, emphasising the significance of safety during these uncertain times.
As the situation continues to develop, travellers and airlines are closely monitoring the evolving circumstances in the region, emphasising the importance of passenger and crew safety.