Tel Aviv Low Cost Flight Cuts After Ryanair Exit

Published on Nov 20, 2025, 8:23 pm CST

11 min read

Key points

Ryanair has removed Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport from its route map and will not fly to Israel in the Winter 2025-2026 season
The decision scraps 22 low cost routes and roughly one million planned seats between Tel Aviv and European cities
Ryanair blames uncertainty over summer 2026 slots and the future of low cost Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion Airport
Israeli airport officials say requested winter slots were granted, highlighting a dispute over costs and terminal access
Legacy European and U.S. airlines are resuming or adding Tel Aviv flights, but low cost options remain thinner and often require connections
Travelers will need to rebook on other carriers, accept longer routings through major hubs, and budget for higher fares and longer travel times

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: The biggest changes hit travelers who used Ryanair between Tel Aviv and secondary European cities such as Budapest, Krakow, Vienna, Brussels Charleroi, and Warsaw Modlin
Best Times To Fly: Off peak midweek departures and shoulder season dates are more likely to have competitive fares after Ryanair's exit, while holiday peaks will be price sensitive
Connections And Misconnect Risk: Expect more itineraries to route through large hubs like Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, and Warsaw, which increases the chance of missed connections during busy periods
Onward Travel And Changes: Travelers on former Ryanair routes may need to rebuild trips around national carrier hubs or Israeli airlines, and should avoid separate tickets where possible
What Travelers Should Do Now: Check whether Ryanair has canceled your Tel Aviv booking, secure refunds or rebooking, compare fares on legacy and regional carriers, and add buffer time for new connections

Tel Aviv Ryanair flights are disappearing just as demand for trips into Israel climbs again, because the airline has removed Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) from its destination map and will not operate any Israel routes in the Winter 2025-2026 season. The cut scrubs 22 low cost routes and about one million planned seats, squeezing budget travelers who relied on direct links between Tel Aviv and secondary European cities. Anyone holding future Ryanair tickets to or from Tel Aviv will need to rebook on other carriers, accept one or two extra connections, and budget for higher fares.

In practical terms, the loss of Tel Aviv Ryanair flights means fewer low cost options into Ben Gurion, which pushes more traffic onto legacy airlines and indirect routings, with knock on effects for schedules and pricing at least through summer 2026.

What Ryanair Changed And Why

Ryanair first extended a blanket suspension of Tel Aviv flights through July 31, 2025 in response to repeated security disruptions at Ben Gurion Airport, and warned that aircraft could be redeployed to other markets. At the end of September, the airline went further and confirmed that it would not resume low fare flights to and from Tel Aviv for the Winter 2025-2026 season, explicitly tying the decision to two issues, uncertainty over its historic summer 2026 slot portfolio and the future availability of low cost Terminal 1.

In a sharply worded statement, Ryanair said its low fare Tel Aviv services had been repeatedly disrupted when security events led the airport to close Terminal 1 and push flights into the more expensive Terminal 3, turning tickets priced on a low cost model into loss making operations. The airline argued that without written confirmation of summer 2026 slots and stable access to Terminal 1, restarting a 22 route winter schedule made no commercial sense.

The Israel Airports Authority rejects that framing. Officials have told local and international media that Ryanair received all of the slots it requested for winter, and that full use of those slots would have strengthened its case for similar timings in summer 2026. From the airport's perspective, Ryanair is walking away from an approved winter schedule while blaming a hypothetical future slot dispute and the operational realities of running a secure hub during a volatile period.

The latest twist, Tel Aviv being deleted from Ryanair's public destination map rather than shown as suspended, is another signal that the airline is at least willing to walk away from Israel for several seasons. Israeli and Irish media note that the map now lists Tel Aviv only in historical context, which is unusual for a market the carrier expects to serve again soon.

Which Cities Lose Nonstop Low Cost Options

Ryanair's 22 canceled winter routes represent a sizeable share of Tel Aviv's low fare connectivity into Europe. Historical schedules and route mapping show that, in recent years, the airline has linked Ben Gurion with a ring of secondary European airports, including Athens International Airport (ATH), Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Milan Bergamo's Orio al Serio International Airport (BGY), Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ), Bari Karol Wojtyla Airport (BRI), Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), and Corfu International Airport (CFU).

Other past and planned routes have connected Tel Aviv to Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL), Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), Karlsruhe Baden Baden Airport (FKB), Memmingen Airport (FMM), Krakow John Paul II International Airport (KRK), Malta International Airport (MLA), Marseille Provence Airport (MRS), Naples International Airport (NAP), Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport (OTP), Paphos International Airport (PFO), Poznan Lawica Airport (POZ), Thessaloniki Airport (SKG), Sofia Airport (SOF), Turin Airport (TRN), Treviso Airport (TSF), Vienna International Airport (VIE), Vilnius Airport (VNO), and Warsaw Modlin Airport (WMI), among others.

Not every one of these city pairs would necessarily have operated in the Winter 2025-2026 schedule, but together they illustrate the slice of the market where Ryanair was strongest, thin point to point connections between Israel and smaller or secondary European gateways that major carriers often serve less frequently or at higher fares. For leisure travelers from these cities, the loss of a single low cost nonstop can mean doubling journey time once a connection is added, especially when trips already included rail or coach segments on either end.

Background, Terminal 1, Security, And Costs

Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion has long been the home of low cost and some charter operations, with simpler facilities that support shorter ground times and lower fees. During the height of the conflict and associated security concerns, authorities closed Terminal 1 to international flights until March 2025, concentrating operations in Terminal 3 and complicating cost planning for airlines that depend on thin margins.

Ryanair argues that repeated security related closures of Terminal 1, combined with what it describes as high, inflexible charges in Terminal 3, make it impossible to offer the ultra low fares it uses to stimulate demand, particularly on winter routes that are already more marginal than summer holiday flights. For a carrier that frequently threats to reassign aircraft when airport costs rise, the combination of slot uncertainty and terminal risk in Tel Aviv seems to have crossed a red line.

At the same time, the broader security backdrop is far from benign. The United States Department of State currently rates Israel at Level 3, Reconsider Travel, due to terrorism and civil unrest, and separately warns against travel to areas near Gaza, northern border zones, and certain other frontier regions. Many European governments maintain their own layers of advisories. Even when airlines judge that conditions permit safe operations, higher insurance premiums, more complex contingency planning, and the risk of sudden airspace or airport restrictions all feed into their route and capacity decisions.

For a network carrier with high yields in premium cabins and strong feed through alliance hubs, absorbing those costs in exchange for strategic connectivity into Israel can still make sense. For a low cost airline that leans on quick turns, simple operations, and low fares, any sustained increase in irregular operations or infrastructure risk has much more bite.

How Other Airlines Are Filling The Gap

Ryanair's retreat does not mean Tel Aviv is cut off. In fact, the medium and long haul picture is moving in the opposite direction as several major carriers resume or expand service for 2025 and 2026.

United Airlines has already resumed daily flights to Tel Aviv from New York and Newark, and is adding services from Chicago O Hare International Airport (ORD) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). Delta Air Lines has restarted its New York JFK to Tel Aviv route after multiple pauses. American Airlines plans to reenter the market on March 28, 2026, reviving its New York JFK to Tel Aviv service and joining El Al, Arkia, Delta, and United as nonstop options from the United States.

On the European side, British Airways, Iberia, SAS, Swiss, and Lufthansa have either resumed flights or outlined a phased return to Tel Aviv, concentrating capacity into primary hubs like London Heathrow, Madrid Barajas, Copenhagen, Zurich, Frankfurt, and Munich. Other low cost carriers have taken a more cautious stance, with some, such as easyJet, keeping Tel Aviv flights on hold into mid 2025 on certain routes.

For travelers, this means that while there are still options to reach Tel Aviv from most major European and North American gateways, the loss of Ryanair removes a layer of price competition and forces more itineraries onto hub and spoke networks. Fares that once reflected a direct low cost model now more often price off connecting logic, with airport charges, alliance revenue management, and long haul feed all factored in.

Replacement Itineraries And Realistic Routings

Passengers who previously flew nonstop on Ryanair from cities like Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Naples, or Brussels Charleroi will now typically need to connect at least once. In central and eastern Europe, that might mean routing via Warsaw on LOT Polish Airlines, via Frankfurt or Munich on Lufthansa, via Vienna on Austrian Airlines, or via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines, depending on schedules and fare levels. Mediterranean travelers could pivot to hubs like Rome, Milan, or Athens on flag carriers or regional airlines, then continue into Ben Gurion on a second leg.

In some cases, using another low cost carrier to reach a large hub with strong Tel Aviv service can still keep overall costs lower than a full service through ticket, but it comes with tradeoffs. Separate tickets break the protection that many travelers enjoyed when their origin and Israel leg were on a single Ryanair reservation. If a first flight is delayed, the onward airline has no obligation to rebook or protect the connection, and checked baggage may need to be rechecked, which adds time and risk.

For travelers who value schedule resilience over the lowest possible fare, booking through a single alliance or carrier group, even if it means a slightly higher price, may now be the better play. That is especially true for tight connections in winter, when weather elsewhere in Europe can add disruption on top of any Middle East related constraints.

Background, Travel Advisories And Airline Risk Decisions

Ryanair's choices also sit at the intersection of government travel advisories, airline security assessments, and insurance markets. A Level 3 advisory from the United States government signals that travelers should reconsider non essential trips, but does not automatically force airlines to cancel routes. Carriers weigh a mix of factors, including the stability of airspace, the reliability of airport security and emergency procedures, crew union positions, and the availability of alternatives if a route must be suspended at short notice.

Legacy airlines, particularly those with strong corporate and visiting friends and relatives demand into Israel, may decide that the yield premium they can command compensates for higher operating costs and risk. Low cost airlines that depend heavily on short break leisure travelers, many of whom are highly price sensitive and more flexible on destinations, may instead choose to redeploy capacity to comparably profitable but less risky markets in southern or eastern Europe.

The fact that Ryanair is removing Tel Aviv from its public route maps at the same time that multiple European and United States carriers are returning to the market underscores that this is not only a security decision, but also a strategic and commercial one.

Practical Advice For Travelers

Travelers who already hold Ryanair tickets to or from Tel Aviv should first verify whether their flights have been formally canceled, then pursue either a full refund to original form of payment or rebooking options that the airline offers. Under European Union regulations, passengers on canceled flights normally have rights to rerouting or refunds, and in some cases compensation, although security related disruptions can narrow that compensation window. In practice, many travelers will find that taking a refund and rebuilding the itinerary on another carrier gives more control over routes and timing.

When searching for new flights, it is worth checking both nonstop and one stop options from nearby larger airports, not just the original city pair. For example, a traveler originally booked from Krakow might find better schedules or prices by departing from Warsaw, while someone from a smaller Italian city might do better by starting in Rome or Milan. Using rail or coach to reach a hub, then flying nonstop into Ben Gurion, often simplifies the air portion of the trip and reduces misconnect risk.

Because one million low fare seats are coming out of the Israel market, at least on paper, travelers should expect upward pressure on prices, particularly around religious holidays, school breaks, and peak summer dates. Booking earlier, being flexible on travel days, and setting fare alerts on multiple routes into Israel can all help. If a nonstop is significantly more expensive than a one stop option, it is worth weighing the value of time saved and reduced risk of missed connections against the extra cost.

Travelers who are uneasy about the security backdrop should read the latest government advisories not only from their own country, but also from Israel and any transit states, then consider registering with consular services and keeping itineraries and contact details up to date. Travel insurance policies that cover trip interruption and unexpected route changes can also cushion the financial impact if airlines adjust schedules again in response to future events.