If you’re planning a trip and searching for which airlines are currently flying to Israel in 2026, here’s the short answer: Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) is fully open and operating, Israeli carriers are running full schedules, and foreign airline recovery is well advanced — though a handful of major carriers, including United, Delta, and British Airways, are still finalizing their return.
Quick Answer: Airlines Flying to Israel Right Now
Ben Gurion Airport fully reopened on April 9, 2026, following the ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran that ended the 2026 Israel-Iran conflict. As of August 2026:
- Operating full schedules: El Al, Arkia, Israir, and Air Haifa
- Operating and expanding: Lufthansa (ramping up to roughly 67 flights/week from September), KLM (Amsterdam–Tel Aviv resumed August 25), Wizz Air, Austrian Airlines, Aegean Airlines
- Resumed since spring: Bluebird Airways, TUS Airways, Sky Express, FlyDubai, Etihad Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Hainan Airlines, ALK Airlines, Smartwings, Georgian Airways, FlyOne
- Confirmed return date: United Airlines — resuming September 8, 2026 with two daily Newark–Tel Aviv flights
- Still suspended: Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Air Canada, Ryanair, easyJet
- Extended suspension: British Airways — pushed back through October 24, 2026 (El Al, Israir, Arkia, and Wizz Air continue to serve the London route in the meantime)
If you already have a ticket booked on a foreign carrier, it’s worth checking your airline’s official status page directly, since schedules are changing week to week.
Is Ben Gurion Airport Actually Open in 2026?
Yes. Ben Gurion Airport has been fully operational since April 9, 2026, with all terminal services, duty-free shops, and passenger facilities running normally. We cover this in more detail in our guide on whether Ben Gurion Airport is open in 2026.
That said, ‘open’ doesn’t mean delay-free this summer. Ben Gurion is having one of its most difficult summers in recent memory: an analysis of late-July flights found only about a third departed on time, with average delays around 40 minutes and dozens of cancellations in a single week. The strain is coming from several directions at once — US military refueling aircraft occupying stands that are needed for passenger jets, a radar and air-traffic-control failure in Greece that cascaded across Mediterranean airspace, and the normal surge in July–August holiday traffic. This is expected to ease as the summer peak passes and more carriers settle into regular timetables.
Israeli Airlines Flying to Israel in 2026
Israel’s domestic carriers were the fastest to resume full operations and currently carry the majority of all passenger traffic:
- El Al – Israel’s flag carrier, flying to more than 40 destinations including New York, Newark, Miami, Los Angeles, Boston, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Athens, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Zurich, Barcelona, Madrid, Bangkok, and Tokyo
- Arkia – domestic and select international routes, including service to Hanoi
- Israir – regional and European routes, with reports of expansion into competitive long-haul routes
- Air Haifa – a newer carrier operating out of Haifa Airport in northern Israel
Together, Israeli carriers accounted for roughly 58% of all passenger traffic at Ben Gurion Airport last year, with El Al alone capturing about 38% of the total.
Foreign Airlines That Have Resumed Flights to Ben Gurion Airport
Foreign airline recovery has continued in waves since the April reopening:
- Lufthansa – now expanding rather than suspended, expected to reach roughly 67 flights a week starting in September 2026
- KLM – resumed its Tel Aviv–Amsterdam route on August 25, 2026, with sales open since August 6
- Wizz Air – resumed multiple European routes and continues to serve London alongside El Al, Israir, and Arkia
- Austrian Airlines – operating Vienna service
- Aegean Airlines – operating Athens and other Greek routes
- TUS Airways, Sky Express, Bluebird – regional carriers serving Cyprus and Greece
- FlyDubai, Etihad Airways – operating routes from the UAE
- Ethiopian Airlines, Hainan Airlines, ALK Airlines, Smartwings, Georgian Airways, FlyOne – resumed service from their respective home markets since spring 2026
Greece has remained one of the strongest-performing international markets for Israel-bound travel throughout the recovery, partly because of the short flight distance and high frequency of regional carriers.
Airlines Still Suspended — When Will They Resume Flights to Israel?
| Airline | Status (as of August 2026) |
| Ryanair | Currently suspended |
| easyJet | Currently suspended |
| Lufthansa | NEW: Resumed and expanding — targeting ~67 flights/week from September 2026 |
| KLM | NEW: Resumed Amsterdam–Tel Aviv route August 25, 2026 |
| British Airways | NEW: Suspension extended through October 24, 2026 (was ‘through August’) |
| United Airlines | NEW: Confirmed return September 8, 2026 — two daily Newark–Tel Aviv flights |
| Delta Air Lines | Cancelled through approx. September 6, 2026 — verify live |
| American Airlines | Cancelled through approx. January 6, 2027 — verify live |
| Air Canada | Suspended, expected around early September 2026 — verify live |
Ben Gurion Airport's Recovery in Numbers
The data tells a clearer story than the headlines. According to figures released by the Israel Airports Authority, Ben Gurion Airport handled approximately 19.16 million total passengers in 2025 — about 18.47 million of them on international flights, a 32–33% increase over 2024, even though the industry hadn’t yet returned to pre-war levels. Around 60 foreign airlines served Tel Aviv in 2025, compared to roughly 80 before the war began. Airport officials are projecting around 22 million total passengers for 2026 if the current recovery trend continues.
More than 12,000 flights moved through Ben Gurion in July 2026 alone — a sign of just how much traffic has returned, even with the delays that volume is currently causing.
Greece was the single largest source market by country, and Athens was the busiest individual route — a useful data point if you’re trying to find the most reliable connection in and out of Israel right now.
How to Check If Your Flight to Israel Is Affected
Given how often schedules are changing, don’t rely on a list (including this one) as your final word before flying. Three steps worth taking before your trip:
- Check your airline’s official app or website for same-day status, since cancellations are sometimes issued with only 24–48 hours’ notice.
- Use a live tracker like FlightAware’s Ben Gurion Airport page to see real-time arrivals, departures, and delays.
- Sign up for airline SMS/email alerts rather than checking manually, especially if you’re booked on a foreign carrier still expanding back to full schedule.
Before You Book: Entry Requirements You'll Still Need
Airline schedules aside, every visitor still needs to meet Israel’s standard entry requirements. Most visa-exempt travelers, including U.S. citizens, must have an approved ETA-IL travel authorization before boarding — this hasn’t changed regardless of the current flight situation. You can read the official requirements directly from the Israeli government’s ETA-IL application portal, and we’ve put together a more practical breakdown in our ETA-IL 2026 checklist for Ben Gurion Airport.
If you’re arriving overland instead of flying, the rules differ — see our guide to crossing into Israel in 2026 for the practical steps.
Tips for a Smoother Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport
With flight volume back near pre-war levels and this summer’s congestion adding extra strain, terminals have been busier than usual. A few things that help:
- Arrive with extra buffer time, since immigration, security, and stand-availability delays can stack up on high-traffic days
- Check current passport control wait times at Ben Gurion Airport before you head to the airport
- If you want to avoid lines altogether, a VIP fast-track service at Ben Gurion Airport can take you through arrivals, security, and passport control without the wait
Is It Safe to Fly to Israel in 2026?
This is a fair question given everything happening with international carriers, and it deserves a direct answer rather than a generic one. We’ve covered the current security situation, what “safe corridor” flight protocols actually mean, and how to make an informed decision in our dedicated guide on whether Israel is safe to travel to right now.
FAQs
El Al, Arkia, Israir, and Air Haifa are operating full schedules. Wizz Air, Austrian Airlines, Aegean Airlines, and several smaller regional carriers have also resumed service. Major North American carriers and a few European airlines remain suspended.
Yes. Ben Gurion Airport has been fully open and operational since April 9, 2026, with all terminals and passenger services running normally.
Based on airline statements as of June 2026, United and Delta are scheduled to resume in early September 2026, while American Airlines has cancellations on file through January 2027. These dates are subject to change.
Airlines are operating through approved safe-corridor flight protocols rather than fully unrestricted airspace, which adds scheduling complexity. Several June 2026 days saw 100+ delays or cancellations airport-wide as carriers worked through backlogs, even though the airport itself remained fully functional.
Yes. The ETA-IL requirement is unrelated to the current flight situation. Visa-exempt travelers, including U.S. citizens, must still apply for ETA-IL approval at least 72 hours before departure.
Since United, Delta, and American Airlines remain suspended, most U.S. travelers are flying El Al directly or connecting through European hubs such as London, Frankfurt, or Istanbul on partner airlines.
Sources: Israel Airports Authority 2025 annual report; airline schedule announcements as of June 2026. Flight status changes frequently always confirm directly with your airline before traveling.