Austrian Airlines (AUA) has pushed back the restart of its evening rotation between Vienna (VIE) and Tel Aviv (TLV) by almost two weeks, citing the “persistently volatile” security situation in Israel and neighbouring airspace. The evening service—traditionally OS 861/862—was originally scheduled to remain grounded only through 19 January, but company spokesperson Andrea Hansal told national press agency APA on Friday, 16 January that the suspension will now last until at least 31 January.
The Lufthansa-Group carrier is continuing to operate its daylight flight on the route, but only on days when AUA’s security department issues a positive risk assessment. Those assessments weigh Israeli Defence Forces intelligence briefings, NOTAMs restricting air-defence test windows, and the evolving profile of ballistic-missile launches from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen. Flights that do operate avoid Iraqi and Iranian airspace, adding roughly 30 minutes to block time and higher fuel burn.
For mobility managers the extension complicates short-notice trips to Israel’s commercial capital. Vienna is a major Star Alliance hub for Central- and Eastern-European corporates heading to Tel Aviv, and the evening departure (20:25 local) normally enables same-day connections from Western Balkan and Baltic capitals. With that flight off the timetable, travellers face overnight layovers or detours through Frankfurt, Athens or Istanbul—routes that are already heavily booked as Middle-East unrest ripples through airline networks.
![Austrian Airlines extends evening-flight suspension to Tel Aviv until 31 January 2026]()
For firms now juggling alternative routings and tighter visa timelines, online service VisaHQ can remove much of the administrative strain. Through its Austrian portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) the platform expedites Schengen prolongations, Israeli entry permits, and transit visas for hubs like Istanbul or Athens, providing real-time status updates and dedicated support to keep employees moving.
AUA says affected passengers will be rebooked “where operationally possible” and can request refunds or alternative routings free of charge. Human-resources teams arranging project work in Israel are advised to build in an additional travel buffer, particularly for assignments tied to 90-day Schengen stays or Israeli B/1 work-permit activation windows. Cargo consignments—mainly pharmaceutical supplies destined for Israel’s biotech park at Rehovot—are also being shifted to daytime services or to Lufthansa freighters via Frankfurt.
The airline continues to monitor overflight restrictions. While most European carriers resumed limited use of Iraqi corridors in early 2025, Austrian Airlines said it is once again evaluating those routings after new drone activity near Erbil on 14 January. For now, crews will skirt Iraq altogether, a move that adds cost but avoids the need for insurance-premium surcharges. Should tensions ease, AUA hopes to reinstate the evening departure in its mid-February schedule update.
The Lufthansa-Group carrier is continuing to operate its daylight flight on the route, but only on days when AUA’s security department issues a positive risk assessment. Those assessments weigh Israeli Defence Forces intelligence briefings, NOTAMs restricting air-defence test windows, and the evolving profile of ballistic-missile launches from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen. Flights that do operate avoid Iraqi and Iranian airspace, adding roughly 30 minutes to block time and higher fuel burn.
For mobility managers the extension complicates short-notice trips to Israel’s commercial capital. Vienna is a major Star Alliance hub for Central- and Eastern-European corporates heading to Tel Aviv, and the evening departure (20:25 local) normally enables same-day connections from Western Balkan and Baltic capitals. With that flight off the timetable, travellers face overnight layovers or detours through Frankfurt, Athens or Istanbul—routes that are already heavily booked as Middle-East unrest ripples through airline networks.
For firms now juggling alternative routings and tighter visa timelines, online service VisaHQ can remove much of the administrative strain. Through its Austrian portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) the platform expedites Schengen prolongations, Israeli entry permits, and transit visas for hubs like Istanbul or Athens, providing real-time status updates and dedicated support to keep employees moving.
AUA says affected passengers will be rebooked “where operationally possible” and can request refunds or alternative routings free of charge. Human-resources teams arranging project work in Israel are advised to build in an additional travel buffer, particularly for assignments tied to 90-day Schengen stays or Israeli B/1 work-permit activation windows. Cargo consignments—mainly pharmaceutical supplies destined for Israel’s biotech park at Rehovot—are also being shifted to daytime services or to Lufthansa freighters via Frankfurt.
The airline continues to monitor overflight restrictions. While most European carriers resumed limited use of Iraqi corridors in early 2025, Austrian Airlines said it is once again evaluating those routings after new drone activity near Erbil on 14 January. For now, crews will skirt Iraq altogether, a move that adds cost but avoids the need for insurance-premium surcharges. Should tensions ease, AUA hopes to reinstate the evening departure in its mid-February schedule update.
