Israel's national carrier El Al has extended the suspension of its Moscow flights until the beginning of September.
According to a statement the airline distributed on July 10, a formal notice was sent to all ticketing agents. The ongoing unstable security situation in Russian airspace was cited as the reason for the decision.
El Al has not announced any date for the resumption of Moscow flights after September 1. The airline stated that the situation will be continuously assessed and that future decisions will be made in accordance with security conditions.
Meanwhile, Russian media report that the country's airlines are expanding their flight schedules to Israel. According to the reports, Red Wings airline will launch direct flights from Sochi to Tel Aviv starting October 27. The carrier currently also operates flights on the Moscow–Tel Aviv route.
It should be recalled that when El Al suspended its Moscow flights on June 25, it attributed the decision to recent developments against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war and an increased risk to aviation safety in the region.
Israeli media link the airline's decision to an intensification of Ukrainian drone attacks, particularly those directed toward Moscow.
It is worth noting that El Al had also suspended flights to Russia for four months in December 2024. That decision came after Russia's air defence systems mistakenly shot down a passenger aircraft belonging to AZAL.