After two years of uncertainty at Ben Gurion airport, the trend is changing. Next week five airlines will resume flights to and from Israel: British Airways, Iberia, Swiss, Eurowings, and Scandinavian carrier SAS, which is renewing flights to Tel Aviv after a nine-year absence.
Some carriers are even inaugurating flights to Israel including Romania’s AnimaWings and Greek airline Sky Express, which will begin services in December. Other airlines like Etihad have announced that they are expanding services to Israel.
There are also airlines showing no hurry to return to Israel including Ryanair, easyJet, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, American Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Egyptair, and Air Maroc.
Exceptional opportunity for flexible travelers
The uptick in activity at Ben Gurion Airport comes after the peak holidays season, during a low-demand period, which brings a dramatic fall in fares. This provides an exceptional opportunity for flexible travelers who are willing to fly right now. For those planning a city break in Europe or a connecting flight to distant destinations, the coming months may offer the best airfare bargains since the start of the war.
In the same period last year, the situation was completely different, as the Israeli aviation industry experienced an unprecedented slump. The number of active foreign companies serving Ben Gurion airport fell to less than 20, with most international carriers completely suspending operations due to the security situation. Today, about 60 carriers serve Ben Gurion Airport.
Last year European airlines were reluctant to fly to Israel. The EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a recommendation at the end of September 2024 to avoid flights to Israel, which effectively prevented most foreign companies from operating – as deviating from such a recommendation could put them at insurance and operational risk. Only a few companies chose to return early despite the warnings.
At that time, most companies operating in Israel were outside Europe. The official recommendation was lifted in October 2024, but even then, although a ceasefire was signed in the north shortly afterwards, most European companies did not rush to return to Ben Gurion Airport, but did so gradually and cautiously, while carefully examining the security situation in Israel.
The lack of supply was also reflected in fares. According to data from the website lastminute.co.il, there was a sharp drop in flight prices in November 2025 compared with November 2024, with most destinations seeing a reduction of tens of percent. A Wizz Air flight to Larnaca can be found for only $25 compared with $140 last year.
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“The data indicate a broad decline in flight fares compared with the holiday period and compared with last year,” explains Assaf Greenberg, the site’s marketing manager. “After a period of high demand and fare increases, the market is returning to equilibrium. Foreign airlines are expanding operations, the supply of flights is increasing, and fares are stabilizing accordingly. This is a short window of opportunity where consumers can enjoy relatively low fares and book vacations in advance – before the next wave of demand arises.”
Israeli airlines are getting used to the new reality
The renewed competition at Ben Gurion Airport is already starting to affect Israeli airlines, which are forced to deal with falling fares and alternatives offered by foreign companies. For Israeli passengers, this is good news, also due to the possibility of operational changes that will benefit the market.
If the ceasefire holds, Israeli airlines will be able to return routes to the East that became unprofitable, after it was not possible to fly over Oman during the war. Now this option is again on the table. Opening this route would significantly shorten flight times and will allow for the renewal of routes that were closed to India and Sri Lanka.
A recovery is also evident in the Caucasus region: Arkia, for example, is expected to launch a new route to Baku in Azerbaijan at the end of the month, a destination that was planned months ago but postponed due to security considerations.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on October 23, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
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