Lufthansa extends Tel Aviv flight suspension after attack

By AFP May 9, 2025 | 11:11 pm PT

Germany's Lufthansa airline group said on Friday it would extend its suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv installed after a rocket attack struck the area of Israel's main airport.

An aircraft from Lufthansa. Photo from Lufthansa's Facebook

As a result of "the current situation" flights now will not resume until May 18, Lufthansa said, prolonging a suspension that was originally scheduled to last until May 6 and then May 11.

The group -- whose carriers include Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian and Brussels Airlines -- suspended its Tel Aviv flights following a May 4 rocket attack launched by Yemen's Huthi rebels.

The attack was the first time a missile breached the perimeter of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport.

The missile landed near an airport car park and injured six people.

The Huthis, who have repeatedly targeted Israel throughout its war with Hamas, say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

The Huthi-run Saba news agency said the airport strike was part of a response to "American aggression".

The United States supplies the Israeli military and has launched strikes on the Huthis, considering them an Iranian-backed proxy group.