Delta and Omicron, the ruling coronavirus variants of 2021, have significantly reduced the number of passengers flying through Ben Gurion Airport in 2021. No big surprise there, right? What might come as a surprise is just how devastating their impact was on the volume of passengers into and out of TLV.
According to a survey by the Israel Airports Authority (IAA), the number of passengers passing through Ben Gurion in 2021 was only 25% compared with 2019.
The overall number of international traffic at TLV was 6,088,107 passengers, a 36% increase compared to 4,457,439 passengers in 2020, but a dramatic 75% decrease compared to 24,035,865 passengers in 2019, just before the pandemic.
So who flew the most passengers in 2021?
1. EL AL
The leading airline at Ben Gurion Airport flew 1,401,014 passengers, representing approximately 23.% of all passenger volume into and out of TLV.
2. Ryanair
The Irish low-cost carrier flew 512,396 passengers last year, representing 8.4% of the overall volume.
3. Israir
The Israeli carrier flew 363,653 passengers, 5.97% of all passengers.
4. Turkish Airlines
The Turkish flag carrier flew 358,636 passengers, 5.89% of the total number.
5. United Airlines
The American carrier flew 345,422 passengers, 5.67% of all passengers.
6. Wiz Air
The Hungarian low-cost carrier flew 267,310 passengers last year, representing 4.39% of all passengers.
7. Pegasus
The Turkish low-cost airline flew 222,636 passengers, constituting 3.65% of the total volume.
8. Arkia
The third Israeli airline flew 219,745 passengers, 3.60% of all passengers.
9. easyJet
The British low-cost is responsible for 211,763, 3.47% of the total.
10. Lufthansa
Last but not least, the German flag carrier flew 182,381 passengers last year, representing 3% of all passengers.
