Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair announced on Wednesday a significant extension of its flight suspension to Israel, pushing cancellations through July 31.

The airline cited "continued regional instability" as the reason for the prolonged halt, impacting summer travel plans for many passengers.

Ryanair's initial suspension followed a Houthi missile strike earlier this month, which prompted numerous foreign airlines to cease operations at Ben Gurion Airport. The airline had previously canceled flights until June 11.

Ryanair’s decision follows criticism of Israel by its CEO Michael O'Leary, who last week voiced growing impatience regarding the security situation.

"If these security disruptions continue, frankly, we'd be better off sending our aircraft elsewhere in Europe," O'Leary said.

Wednesday’s announcement comes several days after the Lufthansa Group, encompassing Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings, also extended its Israel flight cancellations earlier this week, with services halted through June 15.

Italian flag carrier ITA Airways and Spanish airline Iberia Express have similarly prolonged their suspensions until June 15 and June 7, respectively.

British Airways this past Friday announced the suspension of all flights to Israel until at least August 1, citing "security concerns" amidst ongoing regional instability.

In contrast to these extended suspensions, a divergence in operational decisions is emerging among other airlines. France's Air France resumed flights between Paris and Tel Aviv on Tuesday, and Greece's Aegean Airlines reinstated service to Israel last Wednesday.

Furthermore, US carrier Delta Air Lines recommenced its daily nonstop flights between New York’s JFK Airport and Tel Aviv last Monday.