The Ryanair Group has again suspended all flights to/from Tel Aviv. This time it's not about the security situation, but about money.
Terminal 1, primarily used by low-cost carriers, has been temporarily closed. Terminal 3 incurs higher costs, which the company is unwilling to pay. As previously reported, Ryanair will not operate flights to or from Tel Aviv in March and April 2024.
Eddie Wilson, Managing Director of Ryanair DAC, said: “We have worked hard with the Israeli government and Ben Gurion International Airport to resume low-cost Ryanair flights to and from Tel Aviv on February 1st. We were very disappointed by Ben Gurion International Airport's refusal to reopen the low-cost Terminal 1 where Ryanair normally operates. We have no objection if the airport forces us to temporarily operate Ryanair flights through Terminal 3 due to the sharp drop in traffic to/from Tel Aviv, but this should be at the agreed Terminal 1 prices and not at Terminal 3. Ryanair wants to support Ben Gurion International Airport and the revival of air travel to/from Israel, but we cannot do this or require our passengers to pay higher fares while Ben Gurion International Airport keeps the low-cost Terminal 1 closed and our flights moved to the expensive Terminal 3 and charged fees that were never agreed upon by Ryanair. We again call on Ben Gurion International Airport to confirm a date for the reopening of the lower-cost Terminal 1 so that Ryanair can resume selling low-cost flights to and from Tel Aviv, which have contributed so much to the growth of air traffic and tourism in Israel have".