International airlines threaten to stop flying to Israel, demand change to Israeli aviation law

After a year of almost daily cancellations, refunds and legal liability, frustrated international airlines have written to say they may cease flying to Tel Aviv entirely unless their requirements are met. In a dramatic turn, at least 15 international airlines have signed a joint letter to the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee, including Delta Air Lines, British Airways, Iberia, EasyJet, and Wizz Air according to Haaretz. The signatories threatened to give up flying to Israel altogether unless there was a formal acknowledgement of the security situation that would release them from legal liability for disruptions. The companies formally demanded amendments to the 2012 Aviation Services Law, which requires airlines to compensate passengers for cancellations made less than 14 days before departure. With payments reaching 1,100-1,500 shekels ($260-$400) per passenger, the airlines complain that flying to Israel is no longer financially viable, especially for smaller carriers. Without proper regulation regarding cancellations and payouts, they are left vulnerable to lawsuits, and have no economic incentive to continue providing flights to Israel. The airlines are seeking a softening of the law’s requirement to prove that they had done everything in their power to prevent the cancellation of the flight, exempting them from paying compensation. Air France has just extended the cancellation of all its flights to and from Israel until November 12, and American Airlines just confirmed it will not renews flights to Ben Gurion International Airport until September 2025. There are currently no U.S. airlines willing to fly to Israel. Those wishing to fly to the Jewish state are now left with the Israeli airline, El Al, as the only option. <br/>