Remember when, a few years ago, it almost became a joke: a flight to Europe for the price of a meal at a restaurant. 20 euros to Budapest, a few dozen euros to Rome, and sometimes the flight was cheaper than the taxi to Ben Gurion Airport.
In recent years, Israelis have become accustomed to seeing fewer and fewer of these prices. The war, cancellations of flights by foreign airlines, decreased competition, and the surge in fuel costs have made finding a cheap flight a much more challenging task.
But now, as autumn approaches, interesting signs are beginning to appear: foreign airlines are returning to Israel, competition is strengthening, and prices are starting to drop again.
So are cheap flights really on their way back?
What Happened to the Cheap Flights?
One of the main reasons for the high flight prices from Israel in recent years was simple: competition.
Since October 2023, foreign airlines have repeatedly stopped and resumed their operations in Israel depending on the security situation. Each time the number of airlines flying to Ben Gurion Airport decreased, the number of available seats also dropped.
Israelis, however, continued to want to fly.
The result was periods when demand significantly exceeded the supply of seats, and prices followed suit.
During 2026, another factor was added to the equation: a significant increase in jet fuel prices due to the war with Iran and disruptions in the energy market.
For low-cost airlines, whose business model is based on low expenses and cheap base prices, this is a particularly significant problem.
Even Low-Cost Airlines Feel the Pressure
Wizz Air, one of the most recognized companies for cheap flights from Israel to Europe, recently reported a loss of 198 million euros in the April-June 2026 quarter, compared to a profit of 38.4 million euros in the same period the previous year.
One of the main reasons for this is high fuel prices.
And it doesn’t just affect Wizz Air. Low-cost airlines across Europe are facing higher costs this year and a much more complex market than they knew a few years ago.
But Now Something Interesting is Happening
Despite all this, there is also good news for Israeli travelers.
During summer 2026, more and more foreign airlines resumed flights to Israel, and traffic at Ben Gurion Airport is again approaching levels not seen since before the pandemic and the war.
According to data published this week, during the month of August, about 2.7 million passengers are expected to pass through Ben Gurion Airport.
The return of foreign airlines is particularly significant for one reason: competition.
The more companies trying to fill planes from Tel Aviv to the same destination, the greater the chance that prices will start to drop.
And this is already starting to be felt.
The 20-Euro Flights Still Exist
Those who thought the era of cheap low-cost flights was completely over might need to wait a bit.
Wizz Air still advertises on some of its routes base prices starting around 20 euros one way, and in recent flight searches, it is again possible to find round-trip flights from Tel Aviv to Europe for slightly more than 100 dollars in some destinations and dates.
These are not the prices we see every day and in every destination, of course.
To reach them, you usually need to be flexible with dates, follow the publications of “Flight Hunter”, book in time, and remember that the base price in low-cost airlines does not necessarily include a trolley, suitcase, or seat selection.
But the very fact that these prices are reappearing is an interesting sign.
Autumn Could Be the Time for Flight Hunters
After the busy August comes September, October, and November – months when demand for some destinations in Europe decreases.
When you combine the seasonal drop in demand with the return of foreign airlines and the increase in the number of seats, the exact situation is created that can once again produce low base price deals.
Of course, there is no guarantee that prices will return to the levels we knew a few years ago. Fuel prices are still high, the security situation in the region continues to affect airline decisions, and reality can change quickly.
But after a long period where Israelis got used to paying much more for flights abroad, at least for now, the direction seems more positive.
In Conclusion: Can Bargains Be Found Again?
The days when we entered a low-cost airline’s website and effortlessly found a flight to Europe at a ridiculous price have not completely returned.
But the statement “there are no cheap flights anymore” is simply not true.
The cheap flights exist – they just require a bit more searching, flexibility, and quick decision-making today.
And if the return of foreign airlines to Israel continues and the relative calm allows them to maintain their flight schedules, perhaps this coming autumn will be the first time in a long while that Israelis truly feel the competition returning to their wallets.
And maybe, just maybe, we’ll go back to debating whether to add a trolley to a flight that cost less than the taxi to Ben Gurion Airport.
