British Airways announced on Friday that it will be halting all flights to Israel until at least August 1, citing ongoing safety risks amid heightened tensions in the region.
A spokesperson for the airline confirmed the move, which comes in the wake of a recent missile attack near Ben Gurion Airport by Iranian-backed Houthi militants. The strike earlier this month caused injuries and disrupted travel near Israel's primary international gateway.
"We continually monitor operating conditions and have made the decision to suspend our flights to and from Tel Aviv, up to and including 31 July," the airline stated, according to a report by the UK-based Jewish News. "The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our priority. We've apologised to our customers for the inconvenience."
British Airways joins a growing list of global carriers that have paused or postponed flights to Israel since the war against Hamas began on October 7, 2023. The airline had already suspended its Tel Aviv service through March of this year and has now extended that break in operations further into the summer.
The initial disruption came in late September 2024, when British Airways canceled its Heathrow-Tel Aviv route for three days due to an uptick in regional violence. Flights have not resumed since that initial halt.
Other major international airlines -- including Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Air France, and EasyJet -- have also suspended or delayed their service to Israel due to the persistent unrest.
Virgin Atlantic, which had previously aimed to restore its Tel Aviv flights this fall, ultimately scrapped those plans in April.
Despite the widespread cancellations, Israeli carriers such as El Al, Israir, and Wizz Air are still running flights between Tel Aviv and destinations in the United Kingdom, providing a lifeline for travelers seeking to move between the two countries.