Ryanair Cancels Flights to Tel Aviv

Ryanair, the low-cost carrier of Ireland, announced on Monday, August 12, that the flights to Ben Gurion Airport, outside of Tel Aviv, will be cancelled until the end of the month.

The airline stated that this is “due to operational restrictions that are beyond our control.”

These operational restrictions, which led Ryanair to cancel its flights to Tel Aviv, were due to the ongoing tensions and instability in the region.

Previously, the airline had blamed Ben Gurion Airport for closing the terminal for the low-cost carrier during wartime. 

According to a press release, the airline had restarted its services to the airport on June 3. However, due to the tension in the region, the airline was compelled to cancel the route again. And this wasn’t the first time the airline decided to cancel flights to this airport.

In the beginning, the flight cancellation was only valid until August 23, but now it has been extended to August 26. However, the cancellation can be further extended beyond that date based on the condition of the operational situation.

In the past week, the conflict between the Jewish state and its neighbouring countries has escalated substantially. Many threats, including air strikes, have been exchanged on and off the negotiating table among them. 

If this tension persists, the airline will have no other option than to keep cancelling its flights to the region, which will have a great negative impact on Tel Aviv. The stakeholders in the travel industry have been keeping a close eye on that market in an attempt to foresee what further developments may come.

Among the list of airlines that have cancelled flights to the region along with Ryanair includes United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Croatia Airlines, Air Europa, ITA Airways, Vueling, The Lufthansa Group, LOT Polish Airlines, TAROM, airBaltic, Air India, and easyJet.