Low-cost airline Ryanair ends Israel flights due to schedule dispute with Ben Gurion Airport

The large European low-cost airline Ryanair on Tuesday confirmed that it is cancelling 22 routes to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport the coming year due to dispute with the airport. Ryanair justified its decision by stressing that fights were “repeatedly disrupted” during the 2025 season. The Irish airline has mainly offered low-cost flights between Israel and various European destinations.

“We are fed up with having our low-fare flights repeatedly messed around by Ben-Gurion Airport. It is absurd that they refused to confirm our summer 2026 slots, when summer 2026 schedules are already on sale,” a Ryanair spokesperson stated.

“It is also unacceptable to Ryanair and our low-fare, price-sensitive passengers that our growth at the Tel Aviv airport is dependent upon the availability of the low-cost Terminal 1 facility,” the airline spokesperson argued.

Ryanair blasted Ben Gurion Airport for changing the flight schedules between the cheaper Terminal 1 and the more expensive Terminal 3 facility. 

“However, the Tel Aviv airport keeps closing this facility for its own convenience, forcing Ryanair and other low-cost airlines into the more expensive Terminal 3, where we do not want to be, but they refuse to honor the low-cost agreement, which Terminal 1 facilities provide,” their airline argued. 

Looking ahead, the Ryanair spokesperson stressed that the airline has no plans returning to Israel until Ben Gurion Airport confirms its flight slots from Terminal 1. 

“Until such time as Ben-Gurion Airport confirms our historic S26 slots, and confirms that they will in future keep Terminal 1 open, we will not restart low-fare flights to and from Tel Aviv this winter.” 

“Should the airport wish to confirm our summer 2026 slots and confirm that they will honor our low-cost Terminal 1 agreement, then we will look forward to returning to Tel Aviv with Ryanair’s services, offering 22 routes at fares that no other airline in Tel Aviv can match or compete with,” the airline concluded. 

Officials at Ben Gurion Airport responded by accusing Ryanair of “manipulations” at the expense of Israeli passengers. 

“We regret the manipulations Ryanair is making at the expense of the Israeli passenger. It appears the Irish company has decided not to fly to Israel and is now trying to minimize damage with passengers who purchased tickets for the coming months,” airport officials stated according to the Israeli broadcaster KAN. 

“Terminal 1 is open and operating as usual. Ryanair received the slots for all the dozens of weekly flights and destinations it requested for the 2025-2026 winter season,” the airport officials added. 

Flights to and from Israel have been frequently disrupted during the past two years of war. Many international airline companies cancelled their flights during heightened Middle Eastern tensions due to security reasons. 

Ryanair’s decision to suspend all its Israel flights has been building up during the past few months. In May, Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary admitted that the company was losing patience with various security issues and flight disruptions at Ben Gurion Airport. 

“I think we’re running out of patience too with Israel,” O’Leary said, referring to “flights to and from Tel Aviv.”

In March, Ben Gurion Airport announced its intention to reopen Terminal 1 as international airlines including low-cost airlines were resuming flights to and from Israel. Terminal 1 is mainly used for domestic flights and international low-cost airlines such as Ryanair.