Israeli Commercial Flights Still Overfly Turkey Despite Ban

Date: 02 September 2025 - 21:40

News ID: ۱۴۳۰۹۹

ANKARA (Dispatches) –
Turkey has severed all economic and trade ties with Israel and banned Israeli regime and munitions flights from entering its airspace, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told parliament.
However, commercial flights are still allowed to overfly Turkish airspace, according to flight tracking data and aviation analysts.
Speaking during a special parliamentary session, Fidan said Turkey has halted trade with Israel, barred Turkish ships from docking at Israeli ports, and prohibited Israeli planes from using its airspace. The parliament adopted a resolution condemning Israeli actions in Gaza as genocide.
Fidan further accused Israel of causing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and destabilizing the wider region through aggressive actions against Syria and other countries.
Despite the announcement, data from ch-aviation shows Israeli carriers including El Al, Israir, and Arkia continue to overfly Turkey en route to Europe and the Caucasus. There has been no noticeable change in flight paths since Fidan’s statement. Additionally, no official Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) restricting Israeli commercial overflights has been issued.
Turkey and Israel have experienced strained relations for years. Direct flights between the two sides were suspended after the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent military invasion of Gaza.
In April 2025, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines relinquished their remaining landing slots at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, signaling a prolonged pause in air travel between the nations.