Air Europa Staff Union Demands Voluntary Flights to Israel Amid Safety Concerns

The USO labor union, representing some Air Europa employees, is intensifying its pressure on the airline's management to make flights to Israel voluntary. However, the company's leadership has rejected this demand, stating that flight crews will continue to operate the route between Madrid and Tel Aviv.

According to reports from the Spanish website Preferente, union representatives have repeatedly approached management requesting that crew members be allowed to decide for themselves whether to fly to Israel. The employees argue that operating the route under current conditions poses risks and causes anxiety among the crews.

The union announced that despite the management's decision, they will persist in demanding a policy change. They explained that the goal of their request is "to avoid high levels of stress and anxiety that could affect operations."

Air Europa management, conversely, sees no justification for imposing special restrictions on these flights. The company asserts that Ben Gurion Airport is not defined as an "airport in a war zone," and therefore, in their view, there is no need to establish a special arrangement for flight crews.

The Madrid-Tel Aviv route resumed operations after being previously suspended. In contrast, Iberia Express, which also operated the same route, has not yet returned to flying to Israel, with its return date currently set for the end of October 2026.