El Al, Israel’s national carrier, announced on Thursday that it will resume direct flights to Moscow starting May 1, after concluding that the security risks in Russian airspace have sufficiently diminished.
El Al, Israel’s national carrier, announced on Thursday that it will resume direct flights to Moscow starting May 1, after concluding that the security risks in Russian airspace have sufficiently diminished.
The airline will operate seven weekly flights on the Tel Aviv–Moscow route, reestablishing a travel link that had been suspended for several months.
El Al halted its operations to Moscow in late 2024 after a tragic incident involving an Azerbaijani passenger jet, which crashed after reportedly being struck by a Russian missile, killing 38 people. The event prompted renewed scrutiny over the safety of flying through Russian-controlled airspace.
After an extensive internal review and consultations with aviation safety experts, El Al determined that conditions had changed and that resuming flights was now feasible.
El Al is among very few Western airlines permitted to operate in Russia, following the Kremlin's decision in 2022 to close its airspace to carriers from 36 countries, including all EU member states, in retaliation for Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
Israel, while a U.S. ally and vocal critic of the Russian invasion, notably did not impose aviation sanctions on Russia. Instead, it has attempted to balance its relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, adopting a measured diplomatic posture.
Though Israel has condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine, expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people, and delivered humanitarian aid, it has refrained from direct military involvement or sanctioning Russian aviation.
Israeli officials have stated their intent to maintain open channels with Moscow, viewing dialogue as a potential tool to help de-escalate the conflict and safeguard regional interests.
The resumption of El Al flights is seen by some analysts as a symbol of Israel’s pragmatic foreign policy, walking a tightrope between strategic alliances and national interests.
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