Despite airfare hikes reaching record levels, Israelis are pressing ahead with their summer travel plans, pushing Ben Gurion Airport to its busiest day since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks.
Passenger volumes have been steadily climbing back toward prewar figures in recent weeks, coinciding with the height of the summer season. Data from the Israel Airports Authority projected that nearly 86,000 travelers would pass through the Tel Aviv airport on Thursday, split almost evenly between departures and arrivals — the largest single-day total since summer 2023, when traffic had rebounded to pre-pandemic highs.
The resurgence comes despite ticket prices rising sharply over the past two years. Average fares for flights from Tel Aviv in July were about 61% higher than in the same summer period before the war, with some destinations seeing increases of more than 100%. Rome topped the list with a 119% price surge, followed by Amsterdam and Berlin at 90%, Bucharest at 83%, and Budapest and Tbilisi at 75% each. Flights to Bangkok were up 57% from 2023.
The steep costs are partly the result of ongoing disruptions to international service. Many foreign carriers suspended flights to Israel during and after the 12-day conflict with Iran in June, and although some have resumed operations, many routes remain on reduced schedules. The shortage of available seats has left Israeli airlines — El Al, Israir, and Arkia — carrying the bulk of travelers, accounting for 88% of all bookings in July.
Since Israel’s airspace fully reopened at the end of June, there has been a surge in bookings, particularly for short-haul vacations to Greece, Cyprus, and Hungary. Families made up one-third of July reservations, with couples and solo travelers making up the rest. Overall, Israeli carriers transported more than 1.15 million passengers that month, a 22% jump compared to July 2024.
August is expected to be the busiest month since the start of the war, with 2.1 million passengers forecast to pass through Ben Gurion Airport. While still below the 2.8 million recorded in August 2023, the figure represents a significant rebound from the 1.6 million during the same period last year.
Industry analysts say that even as more foreign airlines return in the coming months, prices are unlikely to drop dramatically in the short term. The combination of pent-up demand, lingering security concerns, and limited capacity means airfare is expected to remain well above prewar levels through at least early fall.
{Matzav.com}
