The escalating military tension between the US and Iran and the possibility of Israel becoming involved in the conflict have prompted two major European airlines to act. Italian ITA and Austrian Airlines have decided to temporarily halt their flights to Israel.
According to Israel's Channel 12, Italian airline ITA, which is part of the German Lufthansa Group, has canceled its flights to and from Israel until next Tuesday. Austrian Airlines, which belongs to the same group, also canceled some scheduled flights to Israel on Saturday. No details were given about the number of canceled flights and their routes.
Channel 12 stated that the decision could be linked to the US-Iran tension reaching an advanced stage and the possibility of Israel's involvement in the conflict. The report said, 'It appears that some European airlines are not taking risks and have already started canceling flights to and from Israel.' However, neither airline has made an official statement referring to Israel's potential intervention.
Meanwhile, it was emphasized that no changes have been made to the official instructions for air traffic in Israel for now and that other flights continue as normal.
Despite record passenger numbers, risks are rising
The flight cancellations come at a time when warnings to aviation companies are intensifying due to increased missile threats in some parts of the Middle East and the possibility of sudden airspace closures. Despite these risks, activity at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport is at a record high. Channel 12 reported that more than 95,000 passengers used the airport on Thursday, the highest daily traffic since last summer.
Escalation on the US-Iran front
Tensions between the US and Iran have markedly increased in recent weeks. Washington's strikes on targets inside Iran were met with Tehran announcing that it struck US military facilities and equipment in some countries in the region. In Israel, signs are multiplying that the level of military readiness has been raised in anticipation of a possible large-scale conflict with Iran.
US President Donald Trump announced on July 8 that the ceasefire reached with Iran last June had ended, accusing Tehran of failing to comply with the agreement. The statement came after attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and a resurgence of the dispute over the regulation of maritime passages. While Washington demands that Iran stop attacks on ships and guarantee freedom of navigation in the strait, Tehran insists that traffic through this corridor off its shores should be subject to its own rules.
