Middle East Flight Operations | Updates

16.01.2025 SWISS Newsbrief #19: SWISS resumes flight operations to Tel Aviv

Following a thorough analysis of the situation in the Middle East, SWISS and the Lufthansa Group carriers have decided to resume flight operations to and from Tel Aviv as of 01 February 2025. SWISS will fly daily from Zurich to the Israeli metropolis with a short-haul Airbus A320-family aircraft. Until further notice, the flight will be scheduled without a night stop for the crews.

Flights to and from Beirut remain suspended.

SWISS will be using Israeli airspace for overflights again as of February. Lebanon, however, will continue to be bypassed.

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02.12.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #18: SWISS continues to suspend flights to Tel Aviv

SWISS has decided to continue canceling flights to and from Tel Aviv and will not serve the Israeli metropolis until and including Friday, January 31, 2025.

This measure aims to provide more predictability for both our passengers and our crews.

Affected passengers will be contacted. Naturally, we are offering free rebooking to a later travel date or a full refund of the ticket price.

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11.11.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #17: SWISS continues to suspend flights to Tel Aviv

SWISS has decided to continue canceling flights to and from Tel Aviv and will not serve the Israeli metropolis until and including Sunday, December 15, 2024.

This measure aims to provide more predictability for both our passengers and our crews.

Affected passengers will be contacted. Naturally, we are offering free rebooking to a later travel date or a full refund of the ticket price.

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28.10.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #16: SWISS continues to suspend flights to Tel Aviv

After thorough review, SWISS has decided to continue suspending its flights to and from Tel Aviv. The airline will not serve the Israeli metropolis until Monday, November 25, 2024.

Last week, we announced that flights to Beirut would remain suspended until January 18, 2025. These measures aim to provide more predictability for both our passengers and our crews.

Affected passengers will be contacted. Naturally, we are offering free rebooking to a later travel date or a full refund of the ticket price.

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23.10.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #15: SWISS continues to suspend flights to Beirut until 18 January 2025

Following a thorough review, SWISS has decided to cancel flights to and from Beirut up to and including 18 January 2025. This measure is intended to provide greater planning certainty for both our passengers and crew.

Affected passengers will be contacted. Of course, we are offering a free rebooking for a later travel date or a refund of the ticket price.

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21.10.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #14: SWISS continues to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv

Following a thorough review, SWISS has decided to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Sunday 10 November 2024. This measure is intended to provide more predictability for both our passengers and our crews.   

The affected passengers will be contacted. We will of course offer free rebooking to a later travel date or a refund of the ticket price.    

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01.10.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #13: SWISS to avoid airspace over Iran, Iraq and Jordan with immediate effect

SWISS is responding to the latest developments in the Middle East. With immediate effect and until at least 2 October, we will avoid the airspace over Iran, Iraq and Jordan. This will increase flight times by up to 15 minutes on our Dubai, India and South-East Asia services. Regardless of this short-term adjustment, Israeli and Lebanese airspace will be bypassed up to and including 31 October.

Due to the airspace closure, today's flight LX242 to Dubai has been diverted to Antalya. The aircraft will refuel in Antalya and continue its journey to Dubai outside the affected airspace.

We are continuing to monitor the situation in the Middle East. Our specialists are evaluating all available information and are in constant contact with the relevant authorities in Switzerland and on site.

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01.10.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #12: SWISS continues to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut

After further review, SWISS has decided to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Thursday, 31 October 2024. All flights to and from Beirut will be cancelled up to and including Saturday, 30 November 2024. This measure is intended to provide more predictability for both our passengers and our crews.

Affected passengers will be contacted directly. Of course, we offer free rebooking to a later date or a full refund of the ticket price.

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23.09.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #11: SWISS continues to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including 14 October

After careful further assessment of the situation in the Middle East, SWISS has decided to suspend its services to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Monday 14 October. The safety of our passengers and crews is always our top priority.

We continue to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East. Our specialists are evaluating all available information and are in constant contact with the relevant authorities both in Switzerland and on site. Based on this assessment, SWISS will decide at the appropriate time to resume flights to and from Tel Aviv.

We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers and are contacting the passengers booked on the canceled flights. We will of course allow them to rebook to a later travel date free of charge or refund the full ticket price.

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19.09.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #10: SWISS continues to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv

After careful further assessment of the situation in the Middle East, SWISS has decided to suspend its services to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Tuesday 24 September. The safety of our passengers and crews is always our top priority.

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18.09.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #9: SWISS temporarily cancels flights to and from Tel Aviv until Thursday, September 19

SWISS reacts to the recent events in the Middle East. After careful consideration, we have decided to suspend flights from Zurich to Tel Aviv and back (LX252/253) on Wednesday and Thursday, September 18 and 19. The safety of our passengers and crews is always our top priority.

SWISS is also temporarily avoiding the airspace over Israel and Iran until and including Thursday, September 19.

Our specialists are evaluating all available information, are in constant contact with the relevant authorities in Switzerland and on the ground and will continue to assess the situation in the coming days.

We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers and are contacting the passengers booked on the canceled flights. We will of course allow them to rebook to a later travel date free of charge or refund the full ticket price.

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02.09.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #8: SWISS to resume services to and from Tel Aviv from 5 September

After extensive analysis of the situation in the Middle East, SWISS has concluded that safe flight operations can be assured to and from Tel Aviv. SWISS will therefore resume its services to and from the city on Thursday 5 September. SWISS will be serving Tel Aviv daily with long-haul Airbus A330 equipment.

SWISS services to and from Beirut will remain suspended as planned until the end of October. The decision to do is based on commercial considerations.

SWISS will also be using the airspace over Iraq and a northeastern corridor in Iranian airspace for overflight purposes.

Safety remains the paramount priority

Safety is always SWISS’s paramount priority. The company’s in-house specialists continue to closely monitor the safety and security situation in the Middle East, and are in close contact with the local and international authorities. Should changed circumstances require further modifications to our schedules, we will take all such action without delay.

Customers already booked to travel on these now-resumed services who would prefer not to do so for personal reasons may have their ticket refunded in full for any such flights up to and including 15 September 2024. They will also be able to initiate the refund process themselves at swiss.com/refund. Alternatively, SWISS Customer Services remains fully available to all travellers on +41 848 700 700. Customers who have booked their ticket via a travel agency or another third-party provider are asked to contact the provider concerned for the refund process.

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29.08.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #7: SWISS continues to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut

After careful further assessment of the situation in the Middle East, SWISS has decided to extend the present suspension of its services to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Wednesday 04 September.

SWISS services to and from Beirut have been suspended until the end of October. This decision was taken independently of the current security situation in Lebanon, and is based on commercial considerations.

SWISS continues to use the airspace over Northeastern Iran for overflight purposes. But SWISS will continue to avoid using the rest of Iranian airspace and the airspace over Iraq and Israel until further notice.

We very much regret the inconvenience caused to our flight guests, but the safety of our passengers and crew always takes top priority. We are contacting the affected passengers, offering them a free rebooking to a later travel date or a full refund of the ticket price upon request.

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23.08.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #6: SWISS continues to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut

SWISS has reviewed the current situation in the Middle East and decided to continue suspending its flights to and from Tel Aviv until and including Monday, 2 September. Flights to and from Beirut will remain suspended until and including Monday, 30 September.

SWISS will resume using the northeastern part of Iranian airspace for overflights from Tuesday, 27 August. However, the airline will continue to avoid the remaining Iranian airspace as well as the airspaces over Iraq and Israel until further notice.

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19.08.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #5: SWISS extends suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut until 26 August

After further review of the situation in the Middle East, SWISS has decided to extend the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut until and including Monday, 26 August. The airspaces over Iran, Iraq and Israel will be avoided as well until 26 August.

We very much regret the inconvenience this may cause our passengers, but the safety of our passengers and crew always takes top priority. Affected passengers will be contacted directly. Of course, we offer free rebooking to a later date or a full refund of the ticket price.

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12.08.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #4: SWISS extends suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut until 21 August

After further review of the situation in the Middle East, SWISS has decided to extend the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut until and including Friday, 21 August. The airspace over Iran, Iraq and Israel will be avoided as well until 21 August.

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07.08.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #3: SWISS extends suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut until 13 August

After further review, SWISS has decided to extend the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut until and including Tuesday, 13 August. The airspace over Iran, Iraq and Israel will be avoided as well until 13 August.

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05.08.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #2: SWISS extends suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until 12 August

After further review, SWISS has decided to extend the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until Monday 12 August. In addition, SWISS will avoid all airspace over Iran until and including 7 August. This is SWISS's response to the latest developments in the Middle East.

The airspace over Israel and Iraq has not been flown over since last Friday. Flights to and from Beirut will remain suspended up to and including Monday 12 August.

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01.08.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #1: SWISS suspends flights to and from Tel Aviv until and including 08 August

SWISS is responding to the recent developments in the Middle East. After careful consideration, the airline has decided to suspend flights from Zurich to Tel Aviv and back (LX252 and LX253) until and including Thursday, 08 August. Flights to and from Beirut will also remain suspended until and including Monday, 12 August.

SWISS is in close communication with its staff in Tel Aviv and is offering them the opportunity to leave the country.

We deeply regret the inconvenience this may cause our passengers, but the safety of our passengers and crew always takes top priority. Affected passengers will be contacted directly. Of course, we offer free rebooking to a later date or a full refund of the ticket price.

We are closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East. Our specialists are evaluating all available information and are in constant contact with the relevant authorities in Switzerland and on site.

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29.04.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #8: SWISS plans to resume overflights over Iran and service to and from Beirut

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will return to using Iranian airspace for its overflights from this Wednesday 1 May onwards. SWISS also plans to resume its scheduled passenger services to and from Beirut from Saturday 4 May. The Lebanese capital will again receive twice-weekly SWISS service, on Tuesdays and on Saturdays.

These decisions have been taken in the light of a calming of the situation in both Beirut and Iran. After conducting thorough assessments, SWISS has concluded that safe flight operations can again be assured in the regions concerned.

We will continue to carefully monitor all developments, and we are in close contact with the corresponding authorities in Switzerland and the Middle East. We will also respond appropriately to any changes in the present situation. The safety of our passengers and our crews is always our paramount priority.

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24.04.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #7: SWISS plans to resume its flights to Tel Aviv on 26 April

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is planning to resume its passenger flights to Tel Aviv. The main reason for the decision was that the current situation is much clearer than it was a week ago.

We are continuing to monitor developments very closely and are in close contact with the relevant authorities in Switzerland and locally. If necessary, we will react immediately to any changes in the situation. The safety of our crews and passengers is always our top priority.

Flights to and from Beirut will remain suspended up to and including 30 April. SWISS is offering its passengers travelling to/from Beirut the option of rebooking to a later date free of charge or a full refund of the ticket price. SWISS will also continue not to use Iranian airspace up to and including Tuesday, 30 April.

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19.04.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #6: SWISS suspends flights to Tel Aviv until 25 April

SWISS has responded to the recent developments in the Middle East by suspending today's flights from Zurich to Tel Aviv and back (LX252 and LX253 on 19 April) so that their security experts could assess the situation.

After thorough evaluation, SWISS has decided to suspend its flights to the Israeli metropolis of Tel Aviv until Thursday 25 April. There are several reasons for this: The situation in the Middle East is evolving rapidly, requiring SWISS to react at short notice. Over the past few weeks, we have repeatedly cancelled flights at short notice. This has caused inconvenience for passengers who cannot find flights to Tel Aviv in time or miss their connections from Zurich. With this measure, we aim to provide stability, reliability, and predictability for passengers and flight crews.

We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers and are contacting those booked on flights to Tel Aviv. We are of course offering them the option of rebooking free of charge for later dates or a full refund.

Flights to and from Beirut will remain suspended until Tuesday 30 April. SWISS is offering passengers travelling to/from Beirut the option of rebooking to a later date free of charge or of receiving a full refund. Additionally, SWISS will continue to avoid Iranian airspace until Tuesday 30 April.

The safety of our passengers and crews is always our top priority. We are closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East. Our specialists are evaluating all available information and liaising with the relevant authorities in Switzerland and on the ground.

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17.04.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #5: SWISS further suspends flights to Beirut

Following a further comprehensive analysis of the situation in the Middle East, SWISS has decided to suspend its flights to and from Beirut up to and including 30 April. SWISS is offering its passengers travelling to/from Beirut the option of free rebooking to a later date or a full refund of the ticket price.

SWISS will also continue not to use Iranian airspace up to and including Tuesday, 30 April.

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16.04.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #4: SWISS plans to resume its flights to Tel Aviv on 16 April

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is planning to resume its passenger flights to Tel Aviv. After analysing the situation in detail, SWISS has concluded that it can guarantee safe flight operations. The next flight will take place on Tuesday, 16 April.

We are closely monitoring the situation and will promptly make the necessary adjustments to our flight schedule should a change in the situation become apparent.

The safety of our employees and passengers is our top priority. We make all decisions about our flights with this in mind. We are also continuing to liaise closely with our employees on site to support them as best we can if necessary. We have also consulted with specialists throughout the Lufthansa Group and are joining a number of airlines that have resumed flight operations.

Flights to and from Beirut will remain suspended until Thursday 18 April. This applies specifically to the flight that was scheduled for Tuesday 16 April. Our aircraft will also avoid Iranian airspace until Thursday.

We are continuing to monitor the situation in the Middle East closely. Our specialists are evaluating all available information and liaising with the relevant authorities in Switzerland and on the ground.

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14.04.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #3: SWISS suspends flights to Beirut up to and including 18 April

“Following the events of last night, we are relieved and thankful to report that our employees in Tel Aviv are safe and well,” says Oliver Buchhofer, Head of Operations at SWISS. SWISS has seven employees in Tel Aviv, who are responsible for servicing our aircraft and handling our flights. “We are in constant contact with our local personnel, and are looking into how we can best protect and support them should the situation deteriorate further,” Buchhofer continues. “At SWISS, the safety of our people and our passengers always has paramount priority.”

Following a recent thorough analysis of the situation in the Middle East, SWISS has decided to suspend its services to and from Beirut until (and including) Thursday 18 April. In concrete terms this affects the Zurich-Beirut flight scheduled for Tuesday 16 April. The airspace areas over Israel, Jordan and Iraq which were closed on the night of Saturday to Sunday have now been reopened by the countries concerned. As a result, our flights can now resume using these airspace areas.

SWISS will continue to avoid Iranian airspace until next Thursday. The reroutings concerned are currently adding up to 90 minutes to the flying times of SWISS services between Zurich and Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Delhi and Mumbai.

SWISS flight operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended until and including Monday 15 April.

We continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East as closely as possible. Our specialists are constantly assessing all the available information, and are also in close and regular contact with all the relevant authorities both locally and in Switzerland. Any decision on whether and (if so) when to resume currently suspended flight operations will be taken on the basis of these activities.

We regret any inconvenience to our customers that these actions may entail. We are also actively contacting those customers who have already booked travel on the flights to and from Tel Aviv that have now been suspended. Needless to say, such customers will be able to rebook free of charge to a later travel date or have their ticket refunded in full.

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14.04.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #2: SWISS reroutes flights

Following Iran's attack against Israeli territory, all SWISS aircraft are avoiding the airspaces of Iran, Iraq and Israel. As a result, flights from Delhi (LX147) and Singapore (LX177) to Zurich have longer routes to fly. Both flights will make a refuelling stopover in Vienna on their way to Zurich this morning. This means that they will arrive in Zurich with a delay of several hours. We are in constant contact with the pilots of all aircraft in the air and are providing the crews with information on an ongoing basis.

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14.04.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #1: SWISS Tel Aviv services suspended until further notice

In view of the latest developments in the Middle East, we have decided to suspend SWISS flight operations to and from Tel Aviv until further notice. At SWISS, the safety of our crews and our passengers always has paramount priority.

SWISS has seven employees in Tel Aviv, who are responsible for servicing our aircraft and handling our flights. We are in constant contact with our local employees.

As many airspaces are closed due to the current situation, we are currently assessing to what extent flights that have already taken off need to be diverted.

We continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East as closely as possible. Our specialists are constantly assessing all the available information, and are also in close and regular contact with all the relevant authorities both locally and in Switzerland.

We regret any inconvenience to our customers that these actions may entail. We are also actively contacting those customers who have already booked travel on the flights to and from Tel Aviv that have now been suspended. Needless to say, such customers will be able to rebook free of charge to a later travel date or have their ticket refunded in full.

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04.01.2024 Update SWISS: SWISS Flights to and from Beirut and Tel Aviv Proceed as Planned

Following a thorough analysis of the situation on the ground, SWISS has decided to operate the scheduled flight to and from Beirut on Saturday, January 6, 2024. SWISS continues to closely monitor and assess the situation in the conflict region and remains in close contact with local and international authorities. Two additional round-trip flights are scheduled until January 13, 2024. After that, in line with the original plan, SWISS will not operate the route during the winter months (until March 22, 2024).

Additionally, SWISS will resume its regular flight operations to Tel Aviv as planned starting next Monday, January 8, 2024. Five weekly direct flights between Zurich and Tel Aviv will be operated on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Safety is always SWISS’s top priority. Should conditions on the ground change, flight adjustments will be made immediately if necessary.

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15.12.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #8: SWISS plans to resume its Tel Aviv services on 8 January

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) plans to resume its Tel Aviv services. From 8 January 2024, SWISS will offer five weekly non-stop flights between Zurich and Tel Aviv, which will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The flights will be performed with Airbus A320neo-family equipment. After an extensive analysis of the current situation, SWISS has concluded that flights can be safely operated to and from Tel Aviv. The resumed flights will be bookable from Monday 18 December.

SWISS will also resume flight operations to and from Beirut as planned on Saturday 16 December. The Lebanese capital will receive twice-weekly service, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The flights will be operated with Airbus A220 and A320-family aircraft. SWISS will continue to serve Beirut until 13 January 2024; service will then be suspended on the route for the further winter months (until 22 March 2024), as previously planned.

Safety is always SWISS’s paramount priority. SWISS will continue to closely monitor the situation in Israel, and is in close contact with the local and international authorities. Schedule adjustments in the light of any changed or changing conditions cannot be wholly ruled out.

Rebooking free of charge

SWISS customers who are affected by the cancellations until 15 December 2023 (Beirut) or 7 January 2024 (Tel Aviv) may rebook free of charge to a new travel date or, if they prefer, have the price of their ticket refunded in full. SWISS is also offering its customers who are booked on flights to or from Beirut for travel up to and including 31 December 2023 (on tickets issued on or before 12 October 2023) the option of having the price of their ticket refunded in full if they no longer wish to travel for personal reasons despite the resumption of the flights.

SWISS customers can initiate the ticket refund process themselves at swiss.com/refund. Alternatively, they may contact SWISS Customer Services to do so on +41 848 700 700. Travellers who have booked their SWISS flight via a travel agency or another third party are asked to contact their seller for ticket refund purposes.

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08.12.2023 Update SWISS: SWISS Resumes Flights to and from Beirut

SWISS will resume its regular flights to and from Beirut starting December 16, 2023. After a thorough analysis of the situation at the destination, SWISS has concluded that safe flight operations can be ensured. Beirut will be served until January 13, 2024, after which SWISS will not operate the route during the winter months (until March 22, 2024), as originally planned.

Flights to and from Beirut remain canceled until December 15, 2023, and flights to and from Tel Aviv remain canceled until January 7, 2024. SWISS continues to closely monitor the situation in the conflict region.

SWISS offers affected passengers, whose flights were canceled up to December 15, 2023 (Beirut) or January 7, 2024 (Tel Aviv), the option to rebook to a later travel date free of charge or to receive a full refund upon request. Additionally, we will fully refund flights to or from Beirut with travel dates up to and including December 31, 2023 (tickets issued by October 12, 2023), if passengers choose not to travel for personal reasons despite the resumption of flights.

Customers can initiate the refund process independently at swiss.com/refund. Alternatively, SWISS customer service is available at +41 848 700 700. Passengers who booked their tickets through a travel agency or another third-party provider are asked to contact them for the refund.

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20.10.2023 Update SWISS: SWISS continues to suspend flights to and from Tel Aviv

Due to the unpredictable situation in Israel, SWISS will continue to suspend its regular flights to and from Tel Aviv at least until Tuesday, October 31, 2023. SWISS is closely monitoring the situation in Israel and is in close contact with the authorities. The safety of crew members and passengers is the top priority.

Affected passengers can have any tickets for the relevant flights during the period from October 7 to December 31, 2023, refunded free of charge, provided that the ticket was issued no later than October 7. The refund process can be initiated independently at swiss.com/refund. Alternatively, the SWISS customer service team is available at +41 848 700 700. Customers who booked their ticket through a travel agency or another third-party provider are asked to contact them for the refund.

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16.10.2023 SWISS Newsbrief #7: SWISS suspends services to and from Beirut

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has decided to suspend its scheduled services to and from Beirut, provisionally until 28 October, in view of the current situation in the Middle East and the present tensions on the Israel/Lebanon border.

The safety of its passengers and crews is always SWISS’s paramount priority. We are precisely monitoring the situation in the Middle East, and are also involving all the relevant specialists in these activities.

After carefully assessing the present situation in Lebanon, SWISS has resolved to suspend its scheduled services to and from Beirut, because an expansion of the current conflict cannot be ruled out. The decision means that the SWISS services to and from Beirut scheduled for 17, 19, 24 and 26 October have now been cancelled.

SWISS is informing the customers affected by these cancellations, and will refund their tickets in full. SWISS will continue to carefully assess all further developments. And any decision on whether and when to resume its services between Zurich and Beirut will be taken on the basis of such assessments.

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13.10.2023 SWISS Newsbrief #6: SWISS cancels special Tel Aviv flights previously planned for Saturday

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has cancelled the two special flights from Zurich to Tel Aviv and back which it had planned to operate on Saturday 14 October on behalf of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) at short notice.

The present ultimatum from the Israeli government will expire tomorrow (Saturday) at 07:00 CET. From this time onwards, the ground offensive announced by Israel can be expected. This would significantly raise the risk of a further escalation in hostilities, and would thus also increasingly endanger the safe and reliable performance of the special Saturday flights planned, their crews and their passengers. After careful consideration, SWISS has therefore concluded that the performance of such flights can no longer be warranted until further notice.

“We had made all our preparations for tomorrow’s two further special flights,” says SWISS Head of Operations Oliver Buchhofer. “It would have meant a great deal to us to be able to conduct them and bring more people back home. But in view of the intensifying and increasingly unpredictable safety and security situation in Israel, we have decided – with the heaviest of hearts – to cancel these flights. In taking this action now,” he continues, “we also wish to avoid having to do so tomorrow at short notice, leaving our passengers possibly stranded at Tel Aviv Airport and exposed to even greater risks. The safety of our employees and our passengers is always our paramount priority, and it is this to which we are constantly committed.”

SWISS is continuously monitoring the safety and operational situation in the conflict zone, and will continue to consider whether such special flights can be resumed at a later time. We will provide further updates on any such developments in cooperation with the FDFA.

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12.10.2023 SWISS Newsbrief #5: SWISS suspends flights to Tel Aviv until 22 October

The safety of its passengers and crew members is a top priority for SWISS. Due to the ongoing unclear situation in Israel and after an intensive analysis of the situation, Lufthansa Group airlines including SWISS have decided to suspend their regular flights to and from Tel Aviv until including 22 October. In addition, SWISS flights from Zurich to Tel Aviv are closed for sales until October 31 inclusive. SWISS regrets having to take this decision in this way. The airline is of course continuing to monitor the security situation in Israel closely and is in close contact with the authorities.

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12.10.2023 SWISS Newsbrief #4: SWISS to operate fourth special flight to Tel Aviv for FDFA on Friday

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will operate a fourth special flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv and back in cooperation with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on Friday, October 13. This flight, too, is only bookable via a special phone hotline whose details have been communicated by the FDFA to Swiss nationals resident or currently in Israel.

Flight LX7354 will take off from Zurich at 11.00 and land in Tel Aviv at 16.00 local time. The return flight, LX7355, will depart at 17:00 and arrive in Zurich at 20:20. SWISS will operate the flight with an Airbus A321neo, which has 215 seats.

The second special flight landed on schedule at Zurich Kloten on Wednesday evening. On board were 210 adults/children and 5 babies. The third special flight is currently en route to Tel Aviv.

What distinguishes these special flights from scheduled flights

Although SWISS regularly flies to Tel Aviv, these special flights are fundamentally different from regular operations. Internal and external experts have to carry out a comprehensive security check of the situation on an ongoing basis, for which they are in close contact with the authorities. Until landing, they reassess the situation again and again, and only when it is deemed safe does the aircraft land. More fuel than usual is also carried on this flight in order to be prepared for possible diversionary landings. SWISS also ensures in advance that the ground handling processes in Tel Aviv run smoothly. Although the airport is open, it is organised differently than in peacetime. It must also be expected that ground staff will not be able to get to the airport through no fault of their own due to the uncertain situation. For this reason, an employee from the SWISS technical department is accompanying the flight from Zurich. He is travelling on an additional seat in the cockpit so that all seats can be allocated to passengers.

There is a reason why SWISS is not using its largest aircraft, the Boeing 777-300ER: this type of aircraft is not normally used on this route and on these special flights there are many imponderables and many things that can hardly be planned. By using aircraft that also fly to Tel Aviv on regularly scheduled services, SWISS simplifies ground handling in Tel Aviv and thus ensures the highest possible stability on these extremely demanding flights. It also relieves the pressure on the ground staff, who are already under a great deal of pressure. Incidentally, these flights are operated exclusively by crew members who have volunteered to do so.

Many different employees from a wide range of departments at SWISS work with great commitment to ensure that these special flights are carried out smoothly and that Swiss people can return home.

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11.10.2023 SWISS Newsbrief #3: SWISS to operate third special Tel Aviv flight on Thursday for the FDFA

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will perform a further special flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv and back on Thursday 12 October in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). This flight, too, is only bookable via a special phone hotline whose details have been communicated by the FDFA to Swiss nationals resident or currently in Israel.

Flight LX 7354 of Thursday 12 October will depart from Zurich at 11:00 CET and arrive in Tel Aviv at 16:00 local time. The return westbound LX 7355 flight will depart from Tel Aviv at 17:00 local time, with arrival back in Zurich at 20:20 CET. Rostered for the rotation is an Airbus A321neo aircraft seating 215 passengers.

First special flight completed

SWISS’s first such special Tel Aviv flight landed back in Zurich on schedule yesterday (Tuesday) evening. On board were 214 adults and children and ten babies.

Ahead of the flight’s operation, SWISS had conducted a particularly comprehensive assessment of the safety and security situation. This was also constantly reappraised throughout the operation until the flight’s Zurich return.

“It means so much to us that we have been able to bring these Swiss nationals back home,” says Stefan-Kenan Scheib, who commanded this first special flight. “We were only able to do so, though, thanks to the exceptional efforts of everyone involved, from the planning through to the handling, and thanks not least to the outstanding commitment of our crew, all of whom had made themselves voluntarily available to perform this flight rotation.”

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10.10.2023 SWISS Newsbrief #2 CORRECTION

Please note that the flight times for the special flight between Zurich and Tel Aviv for tomorrow, 11 October, were regrettably incorrect. They are as follows.

Zurich-Tel Aviv: LX7354

Departing Zurich at 11:55, arriving Tel Aviv at 17:05.

Tel Aviv-Zurich: LX7355

Departing Tel Aviv at 18:05, arriving Zurich at 21:25

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10.10.2023 SWISS Newsbrief #2: SWISS to perform further special Tel Aviv flight on Wednesday for the FDFA

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is to operate a further special flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv and back on Wednesday 11 October in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). The flight will offer Swiss nationals in Israel the opportunity of a prompt return to their home country.

This Wednesday flight, too, is only bookable via a special phone hotline whose details have been communicated by the FDFA to Swiss nationals resident or currently in Israel.

SWISS flight LX7354 will depart from Zurich at 07:55 CET and arrive in Tel Aviv at 12:05 local time. The return westbound LX7355 flight will depart from Tel Aviv at 13:05 local time, with arrival back in Zurich at 17:25 CET. Rostered for the flight is an Airbus A321neo aircraft seating 215 passengers.

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09.10.2024 SWISS Newsbrief #1: SWISS to conduct special Tel Aviv flight for FDFA on Tuesday 10 October

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will operate a special flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv and back in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) on Tuesday 10 October. The flight is intended to offer Swiss nationals in Israel the opportunity of a prompt return to their home country.

SWISS flight LX 7354 will depart from Zurich at 12:15 CET and arrive in Tel Aviv at 17:20 local time. The return westbound LX 7355 flight will depart from Tel Aviv at 18:15 local time, with arrival back in Zurich at 21:35 CET. Rostered for the flight is an Airbus A321 seating 219 passengers. The flight is only bookable via a special phone hotline whose details have been communicated to Swiss nationals resident or currently in Israel.

Safety of passengers and crews is paramount priority

The safety of its passengers and crews is SWISS’s paramount priority. In view of the current situation in Israel, SWISS has cancelled all its scheduled services to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Saturday 14 October. We regret having to do so. We are monitoring developments closely and remain in close contact with the relevant authorities. The decision on whether and when to resume scheduled SWISS services between Switzerland and Israel will be taken on the basis thereof in due course.

Provisions eased for tickets to and from Tel Aviv

We fully understand the situation of the SWISS customers affected by the above flight cancellations, all of whom will have the price of their tickets fully refunded. SWISS customers who had been planning to travel between 7 and 22 October will also have the price of their ticket refunded provided it was issued on or before 7 October. Customers can initiate the refund process themselves via swiss.com/refund. Alternatively, SWISS Customer Services will be pleased to help them do so on +41 848 700 700. Customers who have purchased their ticket via a travel agency or any other third party are asked to contact the seller for their ticket refund.

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SWISS Media Relations
SWISS Media Relations
Switzerland
media@swiss.com

+41 44 564 44 14