Ryanair airplanes. Photo: Ryanair Ryanair Halts Operations from Tel Aviv.
Ryanair announced today (Tuesday, September 30) that it will not resume flights to and from Tel Aviv this winter.
The Irish low-cost airline's announcement means that it will not return to operations in Israel in the coming months, resulting in the cancellation of around 22 routes and the loss of roughly one million booked seats. The main reason, says Ryanair, is tied to Ben Gurion management's refusal to approve their historical flight schedules for the summer season of 2026 (S26) and their disagreement with keeping Terminal 1 open at all times, even during security crises.
Ryanair claims that their operations last summer were repeatedly disrupted by Ben Gurion's decisions to close Terminal 1 three times, which forced them to move their flights to the much more expensive Terminal 3, an action that, they claim, made their low-cost routes unprofitable.
A Ryanair spokesperson stated: "We are tired of our flights being affected time and again. It is absurd that Ben Gurion refuses to approve the summer 2026 schedules, even though the schedules are already being sold. We will not return to operate unprofitable flights this winter without certainty for summer schedules and regular operation at Terminal 1."
Ryanair further stated that they are willing to cooperate with the airport management to temporarily move to Terminal 3 if necessary, but they demand that costs remain in line with Terminal 1 rates.
Until a promise is given regarding the summer schedules and the maintenance of Terminal 1 operations, Ryanair will not resume operations from Tel Aviv. The company made it clear that it will only consider resuming operations with the 22 routes and their unmatched low prices in the Israeli market after receiving clear clarifications from Ben Gurion Airport management.
It is worth mentioning that in recent days, it was reported that the Israel Airports Authority sent a firm message to the low-cost airline: "There are clear international rules regarding the allocation of flight schedules (slots), and the authority operates according to them with full equality for all airlines. We approached all airlines to encourage their return to operations in Israel - and we did the same with Ryanair. The Israeli market is an attractive destination for airlines, with high occupancy rates in planes. We would be delighted to see Ryanair return to operate in Israel soon, as other foreign companies have already done."