Ahead of Passover, Ben Gurion Airport sees busiest day since October 7
Some 80,000 travelers pass through airport — a 60% increase year-on-year — on over 500 flights by almost 50 carriers; travel was hit hard by war in Gaza and Lebanon
Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday saw its busiest day since October 7, 2023, with more than 80,000 people passing through the travel hub.
The airport facilitated some 500 flights as passengers flew out ahead of the Passover holiday.
The passenger figure represented a 60 percent year-on-year increase from the eve of Passover 2024, when Israel was still in the midst of an active war on several fronts.
Further busy days are expected next week, with many taking a vacation on the seven-day holiday.
Almost all foreign airlines halted their service to Israel following the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023, attack, which started the war.
In the subsequent 17 months, airlines repeatedly resumed and canceled routes to and from Israel amid rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon and Gaza and missile barrages from Iran and Yemen.
Now, most airlines have returned, with close to 50 companies — including major carriers such as Delta, United and Lufthansa — resuming flights.
Many of those carriers announced their resumption of flights earlier this year, in part based on a hostage-prisoner exchange and truce between Israel and Hamas, which stopped the fighting in Gaza for some two months. The war has since resumed, drawing some concerns among travelers that flights could be cancelled, but service has broadly remained in place as of now.
The Times of Israel Community.