Euro LCC Ryanair will not restart low-fare flights this winter to or from Tel Aviv due to a dispute over slots

The airlines has said the refusal to restart is due to Ben Gurion Airport’s refusal to confirm the carrier’s historic slots for next summer and a refusal to confirm that low-cost T1 will remain open during future security issues. If the situation is not resolved, it will mean a loss of around 1m seats and 22 routes.

Ryanair’s Tel Aviv services were repeatedly disrupted this summer, due to security concerns over Israeli airspace and the airport’s  decision on three separate occasions to close the low-cost T1, forcing Ryanair into high-cost T3. This meant the carrier made a loss, which is not something it will tolerate.

READ: Ryanair and Wizz to resume Israel flights

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “It is unacceptable to Ryanair and our low-fare, price sensitive passengers, that our growth at Tel Aviv Airport is dependent upon the availability of the low-cost T1 facility. However, Tel Aviv Airport keeps closing this facility for its own convenience, forcing Ryanair, and other low-cost airlines, into the more expensive T3 – where we do not want to be – but they refuse to honour the low-cost agreement, which T1 facilities provide. We have no difficulty working with Tel Aviv Airport to temporarily move to T3 – if that suits the needs and convenience of Ben Gurion Airport – but these services should continue to be costed at the T1 rates, and not at the T3 rates. Ryanair has sold thousands of low-fare seats, which are contingent upon the low-cost facilities in T1 remaining open and available”.

“Until such time as Ben Gurion Airport confirm our historic S26 slots, and confirm that they will in future keep T1 open, we will not restart low-fare flights to/from Tel Aviv this winter.”