A Sign of Russian Tourism's Return: First Moscow Flight Lands in Ramon After Five Years

Red Wings resumes flights to Eilat. A direct flight from Red Wings Airlines arrived today (Thursday) at Ramon Airport, marking the first such landing since 2020.

Photo: PassportNews

This marks a significant milestone towards restoring winter tourism to the city of Eilat, led by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Eilat Municipality, the Eilat Hotels Association, the Airports Authority, and the Civil Aviation Authority.

Watch the emotional welcoming at Ramon Airport:

Photo: PassportNews

As part of the preparations to renew the route, the Director-General of the Ministry, Brigadier General (Res.) Danny Shahar, visited Moscow with a professional team about two weeks ago, on behalf of Tourism Minister Haim Katz, and met with airlines, operators, and online tourism services.

Ramon Airport. Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK

Significant progress was made during the visit, including a new flight plan expanding weekly flights from 18 to 30, doubling the number of passengers on each Red Wings flight to Eilat from 100 to 200. Additionally, flights will now depart from four cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, and Mineralnye Vody, including the renewal of flights to Eilat.

The first landing today was accompanied by a delegation from Eilat, led by Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri, along with the CEO of the Eilat Hotels Association, Itamar Alitzur, Ramon Airport Director Zohar Gefen, city representatives, and representatives from the municipal tourism corporation, who also met with tourism officials in Moscow, including a seminar organized by the director of the ministry's tourist office in Moscow, Vladimir Shklar.

Photo: PassportNews

Earlier this year in January, Red Wings top executives visited Israel and met with Tourism Ministry Director-General Danny Shahar and tourism officials in Eilat. Subsequently, the ministry hosted a professional delegation from Russia, including tourism agents, airline representatives, and journalists, to tour major sites appealing to the Russian market.

Watch: Red Wings passengers speak to PassportNews about the Ramon flight

According to Tourism Minister Haim Katz, this initiative results from continuous work, including targeted marketing campaigns and other efforts with major tourism players in Russia. The efforts have borne fruit, and starting this August, Azimuth Airlines will operate direct flights from Sochi to Ramon Airport.

Photo: Ilya Dolgopolsky

The four largest wholesalers in Russia have already begun marketing the new lines and packages to Israel, indicating increasing demand.

Director-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Brigadier General (Res.) Danny Shahar: “I welcome the tourists who arrived today in Eilat on a direct flight from Moscow. This is a tangible sign that tourism from Russia is returning. Doubling the number of seats, the participation of another airline starting in August, and the growing interest from Russia's leading wholesalers – all result from a focused strategy and consistent cooperation with our Russian market partners who show confidence in Eilat. The city has been and will continue to be an attractive winter destination, and we are working in all areas to restore its prominence on the global tourism map.”

Photo: PassportNews

Russian tourism is a significant anchor for the Israeli market. In the peak year of 2019, approximately 230,000 tourists from Russia visited Israel, many of whom came to Eilat as part of winter tourism based on over 60 weekly flights from 15 cities.

In 2024, during wartime, around 70,000 Russian tourists still visited Israel – a market that remains active even during crises.