Turkish Airlines, Pegasus forgo their slots at Ben Gurion Airport

By Sharon Wrobel

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28 April 2025, 5:55 pm

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Sharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel

Illustrative: A Turkish Airlines aircraft takes off from Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, January 8, 2017. (İbrahim Yildlz/DHA-Depo Photos via AP)

Turkey’s airlines have decided to waive their time slots at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, indicating that they will not resume their flight services to Israel in the foreseeable future.

Both Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines halted flights to Israel until further notice after war broke out with the Hamas terror group in Gaza in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, onslaught. Turkish was the fourth-largest carrier at Ben Gurion Airport in 2023.

During the suspension period, Turkish and Pegasus held onto their flight slots at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, keeping their options open to resume their services to Israel. Flight slots are permissions granted by the airport authority for an airline to land and take off on a particular day and within a specific time frame. It also grants the airline access to airport services and infrastructure.

The move by Turkey’s airlines comes as UK carrier Virgin Atlantic decided to cease the operation of direct flights between London and Tel Aviv, after postponing the resumption of the route several times over the past 18 months.