Yemen’s Airstrikes Prompt Airlines to Extend Flight Bans to “Israeli”-Occupied Territories

By Staff, Agencies

Yemen’s continued aerial campaign in support of Palestine has led several major international airlines to further extend flight suspensions to the “Israeli”-occupied Palestinian territories.

Air France announced Tuesday that it would delay the resumption of its services until at least May 24, citing last-minute security reassessments. The airline had initially intended to resume flights this week.

Similarly, the Lufthansa Group—which includes Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings—has prolonged its flight suspension to the territories until at least June 8. The group had previously aimed for a May 26 restart and is offering free cancellations or rebookings for affected travelers.

British carrier EasyJet, encompassing EasyJet UK, EasyJet Switzerland, and EasyJet Europe, has also extended its suspension through June 30. The group has not flown to the territories since October 2023, when the “Israeli” regime launched its ongoing war on Gaza.

Other European airlines have taken similar steps. Greece’s Aegean Airlines canceled its planned return to the territories, offering no new timeline. Ethiopian Airlines canceled a flight between Addis Ababa and “Tel Aviv”. Air Canada, which had hoped to resume flights in June, now says it will not return to the “Israeli” market for the foreseeable future.

The wave of cancellations follows Yemen’s Armed Forces announcing an aerial blockade on May 4. The move builds on earlier pro-Palestinian operations, which included targeting “Israel’s” Ben Gurion Airport with hypersonic ballistic missiles.

Yemen’s campaign had already imposed a naval blockade on “Israeli”-bound ships. The country’s Armed Forces have pledged to continue their military operations until the regime halts its war on Gaza—where at least 53,573 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been martyred—and ends its suffocating siege on the coastal enclave.