Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport Restrictions Push Israelis to Fly via Sinai and Jordan

Ben-Gurion Airport's post-reopening reality is a sharp bottleneck.

“The number of daily departing passengers from Ben-Gurion Airport has dropped by 85 percent since Israel's airspace partially reopened on March 5”

Haaretz

Since March 5, daily departing passengers have fallen 85 percent as flights are limited to one or two per hour and 100 passengers per flight.

Haaretz

Travelers unable to secure seats are switching to Taba Airport in Egypt and Aqaba Airport in Jordan as alternative gateways.

From March 5 to March 18, about 46,500 passengers departed Ben-Gurion, an average of 3,300 per day, roughly 15 percent of normal traffic.

By March 19, repatriation flights had brought 83,000 Israelis home.

Airlines have canceled prewar schedules; El Al will serve 12 destinations through March 28; Israir canceled flights through March 31 and plans to operate 12 destinations through March 27 with nine more during Passover; Arkia updated its schedule through April 15.

Taba in Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan have become alternative gateways as Ben-Gurion remains constrained.

During Passover, Taba will connect to European destinations including Rome, Barcelona, Prague, Budapest, Athens, Crete, and Larnaca via Bluebird Airways and TUS (Israeli-owned).

Haaretz

Bluebird's prices start at about $300 to Larnaca and $500 for a Taba-Crete leg; a Budapest flight is quoted at $800.

Issta is offering flights to Paphos, Cyprus via Aqaba on Electra Airways for about $495, including a Jordan visa and border transfers.

Arkia will fly Aqaba to Tivat, Vienna, and Bucharest with starting fares around $599 including luggage and a transit visa.

Arkia's CEO Oz Berlowitz said that right now, Taba and Aqaba are the only airports that allow him to operate as many flights as he wants.

He estimated most foreign airlines will not return to Israel before July or August.

Ilan Shalev, vice president of marketing at Kavei Hufsha, noted demand is outbound and many bookings are one-way; Passover is creating additional constraints; cancellations can be credits or vouchers for use on Taba; Bluebird/TUS have experience at Aqaba and would return to Ben-Gurion when possible.

Since the war began, more than 52,000 people have left Israel via land crossings mainly through Taba and Aqaba, and more than 37,000 have entered through them.

The National Security Council has issued travel warnings against Egypt and Jordan routes, and Israeli security officials are uneasy about the movement through these airports.

Driving to border crossings can take more than four hours and crossing fees jumped from $25 to $60.

“The number of daily departing passengers from Ben-Gurion Airport has dropped by 85 percent since Israel's airspace partially reopened on March 5”

Haaretz

Some airlines arrange transfers, but many Israelis must improvise; Passover logistics add complexity and border public transport is not expected to operate.

Yinon, who traveled from Taba to Lisbon and then to Krakow, described a rough journey with long waits and escorts, totaling about 21 hours and over $1,500 in one-way costs.

Itay, a conference producer, said his group pivoted to Taba after El Al canceled, spending 21 hours on the trip with additional costs and noting the challenges of the crossing.

Israeli security officials are uneasy about the movement through Taba and Aqaba.

The National Security Council warns against flying through Aqaba or staying in Egypt or Jordan.

Haaretz

Egypt and Jordan face economic losses from tourism disruptions, with Aqaba particularly affected.

Dr. Ofir Winter says there is economic compensation for cancellations and tourism declines, and that regimes have limited public criticism of Israeli travel through these routes.

Jordanian media focus on tourism damage at Aqaba, reflecting broader regional economic concerns.

The situation indicates ongoing travel uncertainty that will influence future airline decisions and Passover/summer travel demand.