Travel Waivers: List of North American and European Airlines Suspending Flights to Israel

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is advising increased caution when flying in Israeli airspace and the North American and European carriers serving Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) are mostly suspending operations after the Hamas attack. Here are the waivers issued by the airlines.

Air Canada

A waiver has been issued for travel to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Terms & Conditions:

• Given the evolving situation in Israel, Air Canada is temporarily cancelling flights to Tel Aviv as of Sun, Oct. 8. We are monitoring this dynamic situation closely and we will adjust these plans as required. We remain in contact with the Canadian government. Air Canada will resume operations to Tel Aviv as soon as the situation stabilizes.
• If you currently have a reservation, Air Canada has implemented a policy that makes it possible for you to make voluntary changes to your itinerary if:You purchased an Air Canada ticket no later than October 6, 2023 for travel between October 7, 2023 and October 14, 2023. Your itinerary includes a flight to, from or via Tel Aviv (TLV).
• If you are scheduled to travel during the affected period, you can retrieve your booking  to change your flight up to two hours before departure, free of charge, to another date between now and October 21, 2023, subject to availability in the cabin you originally purchased on your Air Canada flight. Otherwise, any fare difference will apply.
• If you choose to cancel your flight, you will receive a full refund.
• If you purchased your ticket with Air Canada Vacations, please reach out to them directly.
• And if you require assistance, you can contact us at 1-888-247-2262 (or 1 800 361-5373 if yours is an Aeroplan flight reward).

Air France

A waiver has been issued for travel to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Terms & Conditions:

• Air France is monitoring developments in Israel in real time. In coordination with the French DGAC and the Israeli authorities, Air France is suspending its services to Tel Aviv until further notice. As a result, flights to and from Tel Aviv on Sunday 8 October and Monday 9 October have been cancelled.
• Commercial measures are in place, allowing customers to postpone or cancel their trip free of charge.
• Air France reminds that the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute priority. The airline is constantly monitoring the geopolitical situation in the areas served and overflown by its aircraft in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety.

American Airlines

A waiver has been issued for travel to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Terms & Conditions:

• Change fees are waived if you are traveling on an American Airlines flight, are booked in any fare class, including Basic Economy, bought your ticket by October 6, 2023, are scheduled to travel October 7 – 21, 2023, can travel October 7 – 28, 2023, don’t change your origin or destination city, and rebook in the same cabin or pay the difference.
• Changes must be booked by October 21, 2023
• Travel must be completed within one year of original ticket date; difference in fare may apply.

Delta Air Lines

A waiver has been issued for travel to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Terms & Conditions:

• Eligibility only for customers with an Original Ticket Issue Date on or before October 7, 2023. Changes to origins and destinations may result in an increase in fare. Any difference in fare between your original ticket and the new ticket will be collected at the time of booking.
• When rebooked travel occurs on or before October 21, 2023 in the same cabin of service as originally booked, the fare difference will be waived. A fare difference may apply when the waiver is class to class restrictive and the original booking class is not maintained in the rebooked itinerary.
• When rebooked travel occurs after October 21, 2023, a difference in fare may apply.
• If travel is not able to be rescheduled within these guidelines, customers may cancel their reservation and apply any unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for a period of one year from the original ticket issuance.  Applicable fare difference may apply for new travel dates. Final travel must be completed by end of ticket validity.
• When rescheduled travel occurs beyond October 21, 2023, the change fee will be waived. However, a difference in fare may apply. Final travel must be completed by end of ticket validity, one year from date of original issue. If travel is not able to be rescheduled within these guidelines, customers may cancel their reservation and apply any unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for a period of one year from the original ticket issuance. Applicable change fee and fare difference will apply for new travel dates. Final travel must be completed by end of ticket validity.

easyJet

A waiver has been issued for travel to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Terms & Conditions:

• Due to the evolving situation in Israel, we have paused our flight operations to and from Tel Aviv on the 8th and 9th of October.
• We will be contacting customers who are due to travel to Tel Aviv on these dates, with the email and SMS provided at the time of booking and check in.
• Any easyJet flight -only customers whose flights have been cancelled, will be able to request a voucher for the full value of their flight, a refund or transfer their flights free of charge for future travel.
• If you made your booking through a travel agent, please contact your travel agency for help with your full travel plans. If you need further assistance and your agent is unable to help you, please contact our customer service team. Remember to let your tour operator or travel agent know about any changes you make.
• If you are due to fly to Tel Aviv over the next few days we recommend that you continue to check the status of your flight on our Flight Tracker for real time information before traveling to the airport.

KLM

A waiver has been issued for travel to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Terms & Conditions:

• Because of the security situation in Tel Aviv, we are issuing the following voluntary rebook policy for customers ticketed to fly to/from/via Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) on Saturday 7 October 2023 up to and including 15 October 2023. These options are only valid if you have a ticket originally issued on or before 07 October 2023.
• If you have booked a flight to, from or via Tel Aviv (TLV) on Saturday 7 October until Sunday 15 October 2023, you can see below what rebook and refund options we can offer you. These options are only valid if you have a ticket originally issued on or before Saturday 7 October 2023.
• Does your original flight depart on Saturday 7 October until Monday 9 October 2023 to, from or via Tel Aviv (TLV), then your new departure date should be before or on Sunday 29 October 2023. You can rebook your flight at the latest on Sunday 29 October 2023. Please see below options and rules: 1. Rebook to a different travel date. If your flight was cancelled by us or if you cancelled the flight yourself, you can rebook to a different travel date. Please note that: You can only change your travel dates for free if the same travel class is available as mentioned on your original ticket. Your new departure date should be before or on Sunday 29 October 2023. 2. Request a travel voucher. If your flight was cancelled by us or if you cancelled the flight yourself, you can request a travel voucher. Please note that: You can request a travel voucher that will be valid for one year from the date of issue. You can use this voucher for all KLM, Air France, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic flights that are offered on the Air France KLM website. You can also use the travel voucher to buy extra options like upgrades, specific seats and baggage on KLM and Air France flights. Request a travel voucher. 3. Request a refund. If any of your flights was cancelled or if your flight was delayed for more than 3 hours, you can request a full refund of the ticket and extra options.

Lufthansa

A waiver has been issued for travel to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Terms & Conditions:

• Lufthansa has cancelled all its flights to and from Israel up to and including Monday, October 09, 2023. Decisions on the upcoming flight schedule will be made early next week.

SWISS

A waiver has been issued for travel to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Terms & Conditions:

• SWISS has cancelled all its flights to and from Israel up to and including Monday, October 09, 2023. Decisions on the upcoming flight schedule will be made early next week.

United Airlines

A waiver has been issued for travel to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Terms & Conditions:

• If you’re scheduled to fly to or from one of the airports affected, here are your options: You can reschedule your trip and we’ll waive change fees and fare differences. But, your new flight must be a United flight departing between October 7, 2023 and October 21, 2023. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.

Virgin Atlantic

A waiver has been issued for travel to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV).

Terms & Conditions:

• Due to the ongoing situation in Israel, some of our flights to and from Tel Aviv may face delays or cancellations.  The safety and security of our customers and our people always comes first and our flying program to Israel remains under constant review. We would advise anyone booked to travel to check their flight status on the website before traveling to the airport.
• If you were booked on a cancelled service there are a number of options available to you. If you have booked your ticket directly with Virgin Atlantic and would like a refund, please visit https://virg.in/wEZJ.
• If you have booked directly with Virgin Atlantic and would like to rearrange your travel dates or you are away from home, please visit  https://virg.in/wEZ4.
• If you booked through a travel agent, please contact your travel provider directly to discuss your options as we are unable to process changes made by a third-party company. If you’re away from home, it’s really important you provide us with your contact details at https://virg.in/wEZ4 so we can help organise your return trip home. Our team will be reviewing all options available and will be in touch with further details. In these circumstances, it is vital you travel on the next flight made available to you.
• If you are booked on our Tel Aviv services still due to operate & want to amend your flight dates or no longer wish to travel, you will be able to request a refund or rebook for another travel date with no additional fees until Sunday 15^th October.

British Airways, EL AL, and Iberia have restarted flights to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV). Air Europa and some Ryanair flights will resume today.

Anthony’s Take: This has been a sad situation and one that does not seem like it will be resolved quickly. All of the airlines are offering some flexibility. If you have travel plans, check for the latest advisories and policies.