Israeli Airlines Restart Rescue Flights After Airspace Reopens
Israeli airlines are resuming limited rescue flights following the partial reopening of Israeli airspace after a brief closure prompted by U.S. airstrikes on Iran on June 22, 2025. El Al Israel Airlines announced it would restart charter rescue services on June 23, with a strict limit of 50 passengers per flight.
El Al plans to operate rescue flights from Tel Aviv Ben Gurion to key destinations including Larnaca, Athens, Rome Fiumicino, London Heathrow, New York JFK, Los Angeles International, and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi. Passengers must register on the airline’s website, though availability is limited and not guaranteed. Priority will be given to travelers holding tickets for previously canceled flights and those with urgent needs.
All scheduled services on El Al remain suspended through the end of June, with new bookings paused until July 15 to accommodate existing customers. Israir, Arkia, and airHaifa have similarly extended cancellations of their scheduled flights—Israir and Arkia through June 30, and airHaifa through June 28—while also operating limited rescue flights.
Commercial flight operations were initially halted on June 13 after Israeli military action against Iran triggered retaliatory strikes. Rescue services resumed on June 18 but were again disrupted by the U.S. intervention. Israeli airspace reopened at 1400 local time on June 22 but remains restricted to flights approved by the civil aviation authority through at least 0259 local time on June 25.
Iranian and Iraqi airspace also remain closed. Several international carriers continue to cancel or suspend services to Tel Aviv, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha due to ongoing regional instability.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com