Ryanair suspends flights to Tel Aviv

Ryanair has announced that it will not reactivate low-cost flights to and from Tel Aviv during the winter of 2025-26. The decision - explains the airline - involves the cancellation of about one million seats and 22 routes, following the refusal by Ben Gurion International Airport to guarantee the traditional Ryanair slots for summer 2026 (already on sale) and to ensure the operation of Terminal 1 dedicated to low-cost flights during any future security emergencies.

Ryanair points out that during the past summer, the company's flights to Tel Aviv were interrupted several times for safety reasons related to Israeli airspace and, on three different occasions, for the closure of Terminal 1, which forced the carrier to operate from the more expensive Terminal 3, generating losses, since the tickets had been sold with low-cost fares based on the operating costs of T1.

Although Ryanair had protected its slots even during the pandemic and previous security crises in Israel, the airport - as specified by the carrier - refused to confirm the assignment for summer 2026 and to guarantee the continued opening of Terminal 1. Ryanair has therefore decided not to incur further costs related to the use of Terminal 3, defining the current proposed conditions as unsustainable.

A Ryanair spokesperson said: "Should Ben Gurion decide to confirm our slots for summer 2026 and comply with the agreement on low-cost Terminal 1, we will be delighted to return to Tel Aviv with Ryanair services, offering 22 routes".