Ben-Gurion Airport's Terminal 1, closed for over seven months due to the war and the subsequent sharp drop in passenger footfall, will reopen for domestic flights on May 27 and for international flights on June 2.
Airlines expected to operate from Terminal 1 include El Al, Arkia, Israir, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Transavia and Georgian Airways. Around 1,200 flights with approximately 200,000 passengers are expected to depart from Terminal 1 each month.
Low-cost airlines canceled flights to Israel at the war's onset. Ryanair halted flights unexpectedly in February, less than two weeks after resuming them, citing Terminal 1's closure as the reason.
The airport fee at Terminal 1 for low-cost and domestic flights is $11 per passenger, compared to $27 per passenger at Terminal 3, making it less profitable for airlines to operate from Terminal 3.
With the reopening of Terminal 1, and barring any further surprises, Ryanair is set to resume flights from Israel to several destinations. While the company will benefit from lower airport fees, passengers will face significantly higher ticket prices compared to last June, before the war.
A Ynet survey reveals that ticket prices on Ryanair and Wizz Air have surged by hundreds of percent compared to last year. This is partly due to fewer foreign airlines flying to Israel, making prices comparable to those of regular-priced airlines.
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Ryanair will resume flights from Ben Gurion Airport's Terminal 1 early next month
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Shirley Cohen Orkaby, vice president at Eshet Tours Group, told Ynet that Ryanair's return could help stabilize ticket prices. "The reopening of Terminal 1 and Ryanair's return to Ben-Gurion Airport is excellent news for Israeli aviation, which will lead to increased passenger traffic this summer," she said.
"However, it's important to remember that Ryanair has previously postponed its return at the last minute, and it could happen again. If Ryanair does return, it could encourage more airlines to fly to Israel, potentially reducing or stabilizing prices, especially with regular airlines."
She added, "The low-cost prices we used to know are gone. There is a gap of hundreds of percent in prices compared to previous years. Until at least the end of 2024, with the low supply of flights, the era of plane tickets for tens of dollars is over. For instance, Ryanair flights to Cyprus now cost between 100 to 200 euros, compared to a few tens of euros in previous years."
Yoni Waksman, vice chairman of Ofir Tours, highlighted that the reopening of Terminal 1 and the return of low-cost airlines are resulting in significantly cheaper flights to Europe, with prices differing by more than 60% from regular airlines. This is partly because Israeli airlines' flights were booked in advance, leaving only higher-priced seats available.
Waksman listed several examples of more affordable flights to Europe:
Berlin: June 3-8 with Ryanair for $142. El Al has no available economy seats, only business class at $1,500.
Paris: June 4-7 with Transavia for $155, compared to El Al at $681.
Vienna: June 4-9 with Wizz Air for $242, compared to El Al at $898.
Budapest: June 4-9 with Wizz Air for $150 (excluding baggage, no return flight), compared to El Al at $435.
Waksman noted that the price differences are substantial, making low-cost airlines a more attractive option for travelers.