Hungarian airline Wizz Air announced on Wednesday its return to Israel starting from March 1. Wizz Air, like most international airlines, suspended its flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, and will resume operations in the country before the Passover holiday, when many Israelis choose to travel abroad.
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The company will operate three weekly flights to London, Rome, Krakow, Budapest, Bucharest, and Sofia.
Yaniv Lennys, founder of Israeli flight booking website Secret Flights, told Ynet: "Wizz Air is the second-largest airline working at Ben Gurion Airport, and its return to operating flights from Tel Aviv is the most significant news for Israeli travelers so far. I believe we will see a decrease in flight prices to destinations operated by Wizz Air in the coming days, and the return to Ben Gurion Airport will also lead to the return of additional low-cost airlines."
The cheapest fares for Wizz Air destinations opening in March are: Bucharest $42, Rome $51, Budapest $76, Sofia $91, London (Luton) $94, and Krakow $147
The prices are for round-trip tickets, including a backpack, but do not include seat selection or additional baggage fees.
Earlier this week, Bluebird Airways, TUS Airways, and LOT Polish Airlines announced the resumption of their flights to Israel.
Last week, the airlines Lufthansa, Swiss, and Aegean Airlines resumed flights to Israel. Austrian Airlines will renew its flights to Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday, and Air France will renew the route to Israel on January 24.
These airlines are affiliated with Tarom Romanian flag carrier, which already resumed activity at Ben Gurion earlier in January, as well as Flydubai, Red Wings Airlines, Azimuth, Ethiopian, Airzena, Etihad Airways, HiSky, Uzbekistan Airways, and Hainan Airlines.
"The increasing return of more foreign airlines is very good news for consumers," said Nir Mazor, deputy CEO of vacation booking site Kishrey Teufa. "The increase of flight availability will lead to a reduction in airfares in the near future, which have risen significantly due to the fact that Israeli airlines, with their limited fleet, operated on some routes almost exclusively.
“We can already see a decrease in prices to destinations like Athens, Cyprus, Bucharest, Berlin, and others. It should be noted this also has to do with a significant increase in demand, so the expected price drop may not last long and may be offset by the return of demand near Passover and summer vacations."