Ryanair has announced it will not resume its low-fare flights to and from Tel Aviv this winter, citing that Ben Gurion Airport has refused to confirm the airline’s historic S26 (summer 2026) slot allocations or guarantee the continued availability of the low-cost Terminal 1 (T1) during future security issues.
According to the airline, its operations in Tel Aviv this summer were repeatedly disrupted by the airport’s decisions. Three times Terminal 1 was closed due to security concerns over Israeli airspace, forcing Ryanair to operate out of the more expensive Terminal 3. Low-fare seats priced on the assumption of T1 facilities thus became loss-making when the airline had to bear higher costs in T3.
In its statement, Ryanair expressed frustration with the unpredictability at Ben Gurion: “We are fed up having our low-fare flights repeatedly messed around by Ben Gurion Airport,” adding, “We are not willing to restart loss-making flights to/from Tel Aviv for the winter season, without the certainty that our summer 2026 historic slots have been confirmed.” If Ryanair’s cancellation of the winter schedule proceeds, it will eliminate approximately one million seats and 22 routes.
As a possible solution, Ryanair agrees to temporarily move its operations from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 when required, but stressed that such services should be charged at T1 rates and not at T3.
The airline has put forward two conditions under which it is willing to return: confirmation of summer 2026 slots and assurances that the low-cost T1 would remain open. The company has made clear it will only restart its 22 low-fare routes when both conditions are met: “We will look forward to returning to Tel Aviv with Ryanair’s services, offering 22 routes at fares which no other airline in Tel Aviv can match, or compete with.”
The Israel Airports Authority (IAA), for its part, responded that Ryanair had been granted all requested slots for the 2025-26 winter season and that it stands ready to provide all necessary services to support passenger traffic. IAA confirmed that the flights are scheduled to depart from Terminal 1, “just as is the case with other low-cost airlines,” adding that “The terminal is open, functioning properly, and ready to receive Ryanair passengers tomorrow morning.”
“We regret to see that Ryanair continues to try to convince the public that there is a ‘problem’ in Israel – when the only problem is the company’s refusal to operate the flights it has committed to,” the IAA said.
“As many foreign carriers have already proven, it is possible to fly to Israel, even from Terminal 1, without turning it into a drama,” the IAA said. “We would be pleased to see Ryanair also choose facts over headlines.”
The airline’s return to Tel Aviv now depends on reaching a clear agreement between Ryanair and the Israel Airports Authority. Until all conditions are reassured and the dispute is settled, travellers seeking low-fare connections to Tel Aviv will not have access to Ryanair’s services.
