Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion airport reopened yesterday to domestic flights, while international flights will start using the terminal from Sunday, March 30.
El Al subdisidary Sun D’Or has already announced that following the return of full operations to Terminal 1, the low-cost airline’s ‘home terminal,’ where airport taxes are lower compared with Terminal 3, all passengers who have bought tickets will be entitled to a $16 refund. In addition, prices of tickets being sold have been cut accordingly. Other companies that use Terminal 1 include Israir, Arkia, Wizz Air, Ryanair and easyJet.
Even though the Israel Airports Authority announced several months ago that Terminal 1 would be reopening by the start of April, Sun D’Or continued selling tickets at Terminal 3 prices because there was no full certainty that the terminal would reopen as planned.
Now, with the confirmation of its opening, other Israeli airlines are also expected to make fare adjustments in accordance with the lower operating costs at Terminal 1, if they have implemented pricing based on Terminal 3 costs.
1,400 international flights will take off from Terminal 1 in April
Terminal 1 has been closed twice since the start of the war. Following the outbreak of the war, the terminal was closed for the first time, due to the sharp fall in the number of passengers and airline activity at Ben Gurion airport. Terminal 1 reopened in June 2024, but after several months of regular operation, was closed again to international flights due to an escalation in fighting. In November, the terminal was also closed to domestic flights, and in recent months, renovation and development work has been carried out there. Following its reopening, during April, some 1,400 international flights are scheduled to take off from Terminal 1, about 25% of all flights out of Ben Gurion airport.
The closure of Terminal 1 during the war upset low-cost airlines, some of which insisted that until it reopened, they would not fly to Israel. Irish airline Ryanair was particularly outspoken this matter, refusing to operate from Terminal 3, claiming that the high airport taxes charged were incompatible with its business model.
The gap in taxes charged at the two terminals at Ben Gurion Airport stems from the more extensive services provided by the Israel Airports Authority at Terminal 3, which include a larger duty-free area and bigger passenger hall, which lead to higher operating costs.
However, there are also those in the tourist industry who dismiss Ryanair’s criticism, claiming that these are negligible costs that ultimately are passed on to passengers, with the difference between the taxes charged being less than $20.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on March 27, 2025.
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