The airlines of the Lufthansa Group announced that they would resume flights to and from Tel Aviv in waves starting June 23, following a suspension that began in early May due to regional tensions. The decision marked a step toward normalizing air travel between Israel and Europe after a period of disruptions.

The Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings, would gradually reinstate their services to Ben Gurion Airport. For operational reasons, each airline would resume its flights to Tel Aviv incrementally, with flight frequencies increasing over time. The decision to resume flights was made following a situational assessment and in coordination with the relevant authorities.

“The Lufthansa Group will gradually resume flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, starting June 23,” announced the Lufthansa Group, a statement welcomed by Israeli Minister of Transportation Miri Regev. Regev was involved in efforts to restore international flights, though it appeared that airlines were making decisions based on their own assessments. It was possible that Regev was making efforts, but it seemed she was not the reason the companies were returning.

The suspension of flights by the Lufthansa Group was initially put into effect in early May and was extended several times, contrary to earlier announcements. The resumption of flights was important for travelers, as Lufthansa is considered a major airline group in Europe and a barometer for many other airlines. Before the Lufthansa Group's announcement, airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines, United Airlines, Wizz Air, and Air Europa had already returned to Ben Gurion Airport.

While the Lufthansa Group was set to return, several other airlines continued to suspend service to Israel. British Airways had suspended all flights to and from Israel until July 31 but was expected to return on June 14. Ryanair announced that it was canceling its flights to Israel until July 31. "Affected passengers will be notified of the options available to them by email," Ryanair added. EasyJet had also suspended flights, contributing to the challenges faced by travelers.

In contrast, some airlines had already resumed their services to Israel. Air France had resumed flights and was among the prominent airlines returning this month. Aegean Airlines, Greece's national airline, resumed service to Israel last Wednesday. The gradual return of these airlines continued the trend of resuming services to Ben Gurion Airport.

Air India's situation reflected the complexities faced by airlines during this period. Despite Regev's discussions with the Indian Minister of Transportation, Air India had suspended flights to Israel through June 19. This highlighted the challenges in restoring international air travel connections amid regional tensions.

Efforts by Regev to encourage airlines to resume flights had been noted. For instance, she met with the CEO of Wizz Air only after they resumed flights. About two weeks later, the Lufthansa Group announced that it was resuming flights to Israel. While the minister's initiatives were acknowledged, industry observers suggested that airlines were making decisions based on their assessments of the situation rather than governmental influence.

Written with the help of a news-analysis system.