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Both the aviation and geopolitical worlds are navigating a changed reality that began after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack left more than 1,200 Israelis dead and prompted the country’s military response in Gaza.
Airlines such as United (UAL) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) have cautiously begun bringing back flights to Tel Aviv after completely cutting service to the entire Middle Eastern area in October while JetBlue Airways (JBLU) recently found itself in a PR firestorm after a passenger claimed to have his return flight canceled after bringing up a flight attendant’s “Pro Palestine” pin.
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As Israel’s anti-terrorism operation enters into its eighth month and the number of civilian deaths continues to rise, criticism of President Benjamin Netanyahu and his administration’s actions have been growing both among individuals and nations. Widely considered to be the most pro-Palestinian country in Europe (lawmakers regularly speak out against Israel while one Amnesty International report recently estimated that 62% of Irish residents believe that the Oct. 7 massacre does not justify the military operation), Ireland recently came together with Norway and Spain to say that it would recognize a Palestinian state. In response, Israel recalled its ambassador to the country as the culmination of steadily worsening relations.
Ryanair is promoting returning Israel flights with slashed fares
Despite criticism around this decision and worsening relations between the two countries, low-cost airline Ryanair (RYAOF) has recently announced that on June 3 it would resume running 40 weekly flights to Tel Aviv from various European cities. Ranking as Europe’s largest airline by both market capitalization and total passengers served, the Dublin-based airline canceled all its flights into Israel through the end of 2023. It slowly started to bring them back in early spring but ended up canceling nearly 950 again in March 2024 as fighting quelled briefly before intensifying.
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Now that Ryanair has committed to definitively resuming its Tel Aviv flights as of June, it is promoting the returning routes with a promotional campaign and sale prices. The airline is popular with both European tourists and Israelis leaving the country for holidays — some of the promotional fares include 46 Euros (roughly $50 USD) each way between Tel Aviv and Budapest and 37 Euros (roughly $40 USD) for flights to Malta.
Related: Another major airline is restarting flights to Tel Aviv
Ryanair is calling Israel ‘one of the world’s finest tourism destinations’
The sale has opened on Monday, June 27 and will go on for the next several days for travel up until June 30.
“The unrivaled ancient heritage of Israel makes it one of the world’s finest tourism destinations,” Ryanair writes on the page for Israel and the sale. “Alongside its historic sites, many of which are in Jerusalem, the country is also a vibrant place with a thriving modern culture. Get your flights to Israel with Ryanair – Europe’s favourite airline!”
The growing criticism of Israeli leadership’s actions in Gaza and growing calls to isolate the country have made some corporations hesitant to vocally promote Israel but so far the low fares and low numbers of airlines which fly to Israel have worked in Ryanair’s favor.
“Outdoor lovers will love the Israel National Trail, a winding hiking and cycling trail extending around 940km across the country,” Ryanair writes of Israel further. “Also, check out the Jesus Trail beginning in Nazareth and passing through many important Christian sites.”
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