Photo: Wikipedia
Israeli airline El Al has announced that it will resume flights to Moscow on 1 May, after almost four months of interruption. This is stated on the carrier’s official website.
Air traffic was suspended in late December 2024 due to the crash of an Azerbaijani plane that occurred during a drone attack near the Kazakh city of Aktau. The tragedy killed 38 people.
Decision after “situation assessment”
The company said that the resumption of flights became possible after a detailed assessment of the security situation and consultations with the relevant authorities.
“We have assessed the current situation and decided to resume flights,” El Al said in a statement.
Between politics and caution
Although Israel has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and is providing humanitarian aid to Kyiv, it has refrained from imposing economic sanctions on Moscow. This creates a politically delicate balance against the backdrop of global sanctions against Russia.
In response to aviation restrictions imposed by Western countries, Russia has closed its airspace to carriers from 36 countries, including all EU members, since 2022.
The Ukrainian side has already voiced a warning: Andriy Yermak, in an op-ed for The Guardian, noted that easing air sanctions would strengthen both Moscow’s economic and military positions.
