After months of cancellations, uncertainty and reduced operations by foreign airlines, Ben Gurion Airport continues to record a recovery. More and more international carriers are announcing their return to Israel—a move expected to increase flight supply, reopen sought-after destinations and restore some of the competition that vanished from the market in recent months.
2+The gradual return of foreign carriers comes against the backdrop of relative calm in the security situation and updated risk assessments by the airlines, allowing them to resume operating routes to Israel in the middle of the summer season.
Airlines that have already announced resumed operations:
• June 25 – Qanot Sharq: Resuming flights to Tashkent and Samarkand.
• June 29 – Air Europa: Returning to the direct Tel Aviv-Madrid route.
• July 1 – Lufthansa: Resuming flights to Frankfurt. The Munich route is expected to return August 1.
• July 1 – ITA Airways: Resuming direct flights to Rome.
• July 1 – Air Baltic: Returning to the Tel Aviv-Riga route.
• July 2 – One Click: Resuming flights to Tbilisi and Batumi.
• July 10 – Eurowings: Returning to Hamburg flights.
• July 18 – Eurowings: Expanding operations to Düsseldorf as well.
• July 19 – FlyOne Romania: Resuming the direct route to Bucharest.
• August 1 – Swiss: Returning to Zurich flights.
2+The aviation industry sees the current wave of returns as a particularly positive sign. Beyond increasing the number of destinations available to Israelis, the return of foreign carriers is expected to increase the number of seats in the market and gradually restore competition on ticket prices.
2+If there are no changes in the security situation, the coming months could mark the return of the Israeli aviation market to much broader activity, after a period when many travelers were forced to rely on a limited number of carriers and destinations.