About two months after returning to Israel, low-cost giant Wizz Air is cancelling a significant share of its flights to the country, mainly to destinations in Greece. According to Sharon Idan, aviation correspondent for the Kan public broadcaster, routes affected with immediate effect include Rhodes, Crete and Santorini.
With Wizz Air currently the only low-cost airline operating in Israel, the move is expected to affect thousands of Israeli travellers planning summer holidays.
Other airlines extend their suspensions
Air Canada
Air Canada has cancelled its flights to Israel until at least June. The airline had been due to resume service two weeks ago but reversed the decision, and passengers have received cancellation notices.
easyJet
About two weeks ago, easyJet announced that it was cancelling its flights to Israel until late October 2024. The company said that customers booked on routes to and from Israel up to that date are being offered options, including a full refund.
Ryanair heads the other way
Meanwhile Ryanair, hugely popular with Israelis, which stopped flying when the war broke out, has applied to return to Israel from the beginning of June. In the first stage it plans to operate from Terminal 1, which reopens on 1 June, with around 20 flights a week to six European destinations: Bergamo, Malta, Berlin, Bari, Budapest and Paphos. Some estimate the move could bring ticket prices down significantly this summer.
The announcement reverses Ryanair’s statement a month earlier, when it said flights would be cancelled until the autumn holidays – a decision that affected more than 200 weekly flights from Israel and led to cancellation notices for tens of thousands of passengers.
The bigger picture
Around 50 airlines are currently operating flights to Israel, roughly half the number before the war. If your flight has been cancelled, check your options for a refund or rebooking with the airline or your travel agent, and read our guide on what to do when your flight is cancelled.
For the current route maps, see Wizz Air destinations from Israel and Ryanair destinations from Israel, and to hear about changes as they happen, get flight cancellation alerts on your phone. You can also read more about both airlines in our Wizz Air profile and Ryanair guide.
