Au revoir western Europe: As Houthi attacks spike airfares, Israelis adjust summer plans
As many foreign carriers halt their flights to Tel Aviv, Israelis forgo popular but expensive cities in western Europe for breaks in nearby Greece, Cyprus, and Balkan countries
Sharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel
The busy summer travel season is fast approaching, and Israelis planning to book their holidays during the peak period are facing a tough market. The cost of summer vacations is climbing, whether it’s ticket prices for flights abroad or vacations within the country.
The flood of flight cancellations by European and global airlines following the Houthi missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport at the beginning of May left thousands of Israelis scrambling to find new flights or make alternative travel plans at a far higher cost.
Although a few foreign airlines have resumed their services in and out of Tel Aviv, and Israeli airlines have geared up to fill the gap by adding routes and frequencies, one thing is clear: With excess demand and limited flight capacity, Israeli vacationers will have to spend more on airfares and holiday packages if they want to secure their vacation during the busiest season of the year.
“We did hope that more foreign airlines would return to the Israeli market and the sky would be completely open, but this is unfortunately not the case, and there is still uncertainty about their resumption,” Shirley Cohen Orkaby, VP at Eshet Tours Group, told The Times of Israel. “The Israeli aviation market is better prepared compared to last summer because we expected 2025 to be a year that the industry is going to suffer from reduced supply of flights, and therefore local airlines added new destinations and increased frequencies.”
“Even though there are more options, prices for the peak summer season are about 10 to 20 percent higher than last year because of a shortage of seat availability, and as most Israelis prefer to fly with Israeli airlines,” she said.
With many Israelis still looking to book their summer breaks in the coming few weeks, the rising demand is set to quickly eat up the reduced supply and bump up the cost of airfares and vacation packages, Cohen Orkaby predicted.
“Many Israelis don’t want to risk ruining their summer vacation plans, so they avoid foreign companies and choose Israeli airlines as the safest option,” she said.
Most foreign airlines halted flight services to Tel Aviv on May 4 after a ballistic missile fired by the Houthi rebels in Yemen impacted in a grove of trees alongside an access road close to Ben Gurion Airport’s Terminal 3, several hundred meters from the airport control tower.
Since the outbreak of war in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 Hamas onslaught on Israel, most foreign airlines have repeatedly canceled and resumed their flights to and from Tel Aviv, leaving Israel’s connection to the outside world largely in the hands of a few local carriers — El Al, Israir, and Arkia.
After the rocket impact at Ben Gurion Airport, which followed failed Israeli attempts to shoot it down, the Houthis boasted of their success and claimed that Ben Gurion Airport was “no longer safe for air travel.” The Yemen-based terror group also threatened to “blockade” Israel’s airspace. Amid the threats, a host of foreign airlines repeatedly pushed off reinstating flight services to and from the country.
Popular Irish low-cost airline Ryanair and the UK’s British Airways decided to shun Israel for most of the summer season, both extending flight suspensions until July 31. The Lufthansa group of carriers — which also includes SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines — canceled all flights to Tel Aviv through June 22.
Among the few foreign airlines that have recently resumed flight services to Israel are Air France, Delta, United Airlines, Wizz Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, and Greece’s Aegean Airlines.
“Ryanair was a big player in the Israeli market, because of their early booking deals and very cheap flights,” said Ophir Tours chief marketing officer, Neta Gafni. “Everyone who booked for the summer with Ryanair and other foreign airlines that canceled now need to book another flight, but they are not going to risk it anymore and are buying tickets with Israeli airlines as the chances of cancellations are very low.”
“Israelis are afraid to book with British or other foreign airlines as there is uncertainty if and when they will come back, and whether they will stay,” said Gafni.
Both Gafni and Cohen Arkaby pointed out that flight ticket prices for the summer to many major destinations in Western Europe have gone through the roof due to limited flight options and seat availability.
As a result, many Israelis are shunning previously popular destinations, including London, for destinations in Eastern Europe and close-by travel options in Greece and Cyprus. Others are buying tickets for cheaper connecting flights to fly to Europe via Larnaca or Athens, instead of direct flights, Gafni and Cohen Arkaby said.
Travelers looking to book flights with El Al from Tel Aviv to London in July will find no seat availability on its website. In August, round-trip tickets from Tel Aviv to London will cost between $1,300 and over $2,000. That’s because economy seat tickets are very scarce, which leaves travelers with no choice but to pay for premium economy or business class seats on one or both legs of the trip.
“We see less demand for travel to destinations in Western Europe also because of the rise in antisemitism during the war and concern about personal safety,” said Cohen Arkaby.
“The most popular destinations are Cyprus and Greece, since there a lot of flight options offered by Israeli airlines, as well as by TUS Airways and Bluebird, which are owned by Israeli companies,” said Gafni. “Destinations in Eastern Europe, including Prague, Budapest, and Bulgaria, are also in high demand as local carriers, Bluebird and TUS increased frequencies and added routes.”
“They are also cheap destinations for Israeli families who prefer to book all-inclusive package deals, because it’s a no-brainer,” she said.
Smaller Israeli carriers Israir and Arkia have added flights to destinations such as Larnaca, Athens, and Budapest. Bluebird and TUS Airways have also added and increased flights to Barcelona, Prague, and Paphos. Earlier this year, Eshet Tours started a collaboration with Romanian airline Flylili to launch charter flights from Tel Aviv to a dozen destinations, mostly in Eastern Europe, including Prague, Krakow, Brașov, and Mamaia, as well as to Malta.
Traveling in June, a four-night vacation to Malta at a 4-star hotel on a bed and breakfast basis is sold from about €499 ($571) per person in a double room, including flights, checked baggage, and transfers. In August, the same trip will cost €800 ($915) per person, according to Eshet Tours.
The summer is a peak period in demand not only for flights abroad, but also for vacations in Israel. The demand is exacerbated with foreign travel limited due to a hiatus of major European and global airlines, said Gafni and Cohen Arkaby.
“Israelis love Eilat, demand is very steady, and vacation prices are always high and will go up more during the summer months,” said Cohen Arcaby. “But in other parts of the country, in areas such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, or Netanya, which have suffered from the absence of incoming tourists, we see relatively good prices and availability of rooms for hotel stays.”
In August, a four-night vacation at the Isrotel chain in Eilat will cost around $3,250 for a family with two children versus around $2,935 during the same period last year.
The Times of Israel Community.