German Airline Condor Launches Daily Flights to Tel Aviv Amid Regional Tensions

Amid heightened regional tensions and increased security readiness in Israel over potential conflict with Iran, German airline Condor landed its first flight in Israel on Saturday night. Represented locally by Tal Aviation Group, this marks Condor's second-ever landing in Israel, with the first occurring 70 years ago as a one-time pilgrimage flight. Starting immediately, Condor operates a daily direct route between Frankfurt and Tel Aviv. The inaugural flight was fully booked, with approximately 80% of passengers continuing onward to destinations in North America and East Asia, underscoring the new route's role in expanding international connectivity for Israeli travelers.

In parallel, Air Haifa announced the launch of a new route from Haifa to Thessaloniki, beginning October 25, with ticket prices starting at 89 euros. Air Haifa also reported a record monthly passenger volume of about 58,000 in July, doubling last year's figures for the same month. Ethiopian Airlines, also represented by Tal Aviation, plans to increase its weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Addis Ababa from 21 to 26 starting tomorrow through the end of August.

Conversely, not all airlines are resuming or expanding service to Israel. TAP Air Portugal, which had planned to restart flights between Tel Aviv and Lisbon in August, has extended its suspension until September 15. TAP ceased flights to Israel in October 2023 and has only briefly resumed limited operations since then without establishing a regular schedule.