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A modest revival is underway at Ilan & Asaf Ramon Airport. The CEO of the Russian airline Red Wings has announced the launch of new flight routes from Moscow and Sochi to the southern Israeli airport, set to begin on June 12.
Initially, the airline will operate one weekly flight from each destination, with the possibility of increasing to two weekly flights in the future. The price for a ticket to Moscow is set at $697, excluding luggage.
Despite many countries distancing themselves from Russian tourists, Israel is eager to welcome them and has worked diligently to make it happen. According to a statement from the Israel Airports Authority, "The management of Ilan & Asaf Ramon Airport recently hosted a group of travel agents and representatives from Russian airlines. The visit included a tour of the airport and the city of Eilat, as well as trips to other cities in Israel, with the goal of showcasing the region's tourism potential."
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia, making it more expensive and complicated for Russian citizens to apply for visas. Some member states, such as the Czech Republic, have entirely stopped issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens, except in rare humanitarian cases. Furthermore, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have closed their borders to Russian citizens holding Schengen visas.
In Israel, Transportation Minister Miri Regev welcomed Red Wings' decision. "This is another step in expanding international activity at Ilan & Asaf Ramon Airport and strengthening tourism to Eilat," she said in a statement. "The Ministry of Transportation and the Israel Airports Authority will continue their efforts to bring additional international airlines to Ramon and Eilat."
Eilat's Mayor Eli Lankri also expressed optimism: "After months of dedicated work and inter-agency cooperation, the first tourist flights from Russia to Eilat, which we have eagerly awaited, will soon land at Ilan & Asaf Ramon Airport. I have no doubt that this is just the beginning of expanding Eilat's tourism and transportation connections as an international tourist city with Europe and the rest of the world. It also strengthens Ramon Airport as an international hub."
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The announcement of Red Wings' new routes followed another development: On Thursday, El Al announced the resumption of its Tel Aviv-Moscow route, beginning May 1. "The decision was made following an updated situation assessment and ongoing discussions with the authorities in the country to ensure flight safety," the airline stated. El Al had suspended flights to Russia at the end of December, a few days after an Azerbaijan Airlines plane was struck by a missile from the Russian defense system and crashed in Kazakhstan.
In a Tuesday morning statement, El Al declared: "The resumption of flights to Moscow demonstrates the company's commitment to providing consistent and safe aviation services to its customers. This is part of El Al's ongoing efforts to expand its network of destinations and provide passengers with access to key flight routes. As part of the return to operations, seven weekly flights will be offered."
As for the cost of flying to Moscow, a check revealed round-trip tickets in May starting at $895.