The Irish low-cost carrier will not operate flights to Ben Gurion Airport in this year’s winter schedule, as the airport does not guarantee the slots needed for next year’s summer timetable nor the uninterrupted use of the low-cost terminal.
In a statement sent to our newsroom, Ryanair said the decision means the loss of around one million seats and 22 routes.
According to the airline, the background is that the management of Ben Gurion Airport rejected Ryanair’s request to retain the slots already announced for the 2026 summer schedule, and it also did not provide assurances that Terminal 1, which serves low-cost flights, would remain open during possible security measures.
During this past summer season, Ryanair’s Tel Aviv flights had to be suspended several times due to airspace closures and airport decisions, when Terminal 1 was closed on three occasions and Ryanair’s flights were moved to Terminal 3.
The airline stated that the higher cost structure of T3 made its low-fare services unprofitable.
Ryanair stressed that it will not accept the extra costs of T3 and regrets that it cannot launch its planned cheap flights to Tel Aviv this winter.