Ryanair further suspends Israel flight schedule in March and April, due to higher fees at Tel Aviv Terminal 3

Ryanair has suspended its flights to and from Israel for March and April due to issues related to higher fees at Ben-Gurion International Airport’s Terminal 3. Since the war in October, all flights from the airport have been directed to Terminal 3, which charges higher fees compared to Terminal 1.

Low-cost carriers, including Ryanair, previously benefited from lower fees at Terminal 1, allowing them to offer lower fares to passengers. Ryanair had requested to pay lower rates similar to Terminal 1 but was denied, leading the airline to conclude that operating routes to Tel Aviv was not economically viable with the higher fees.

Ryanair’s departure from the Israeli market may impact other low-cost carriers, such as Wizzair and easyJet, potentially leading to increased costs for consumers. The Israel Airports Authority defended the decision, citing the closure of Terminal 1 and the economic feasibility of operating a single terminal based on current passenger volumes.

Ryanair confirmed the suspension of Tel Aviv flights to Aviation24.be:

“Ryanair today (13 Feb) confirmed that it has regrettably cancelled its reduced schedule of flights to/from Tel Aviv from Tues, 27th Feb due to the Ben-Gurion International Airport’s low-cost Terminal 1 no longer being accessible for low-cost, low-fare airlines. Ryanair previously operated to the low-cost Terminal 1, which has not yet been re-opened with high-cost Terminal 3 being the only terminal currently open at Ben-Gurion International Airport.

Ryanair remains committed to Tel Aviv and looks forward to resuming operations when the low-cost Terminal 1 is re-opened.

Affected passengers have been notified and advised of their options. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of these regrettable cancellations.”