El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. has announced that it is reopening ticket sales for both inbound and outbound flights to Israel. Over the past few days, the airline has been primarily focused on rescheduling trips for passengers whose flights were canceled during the course of the military campaign against Iran. Full flight operations to all regular destinations are set to restart this Sunday, June 29. Sun D’or, El Al’s low-cost subsidiary, will resume flying again on Tuesday, July 1.
El Al is offering a special fixed pricing structure for travelers booking flights that depart before the end of June. These prices will remain in effect until next Tuesday, providing some certainty for passengers planning immediate travel.
The airline confirmed that any customer holding tickets from either El Al or Sun D’or for flights that were canceled amid the Iran operation can now rebook without paying extra. The new flight must originate from the same region as the original. Travelers can process rebookings by contacting El Al’s service center or through the travel agent they originally used.
In another customer-oriented measure, El Al stated that passengers holding tickets for flights leaving before July 15 who no longer want to fly may cancel their bookings and request a travel voucher instead. This must be done at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled departure. “The vouchers are valid for two years and can be issued independently on the company’s website,” the airline noted.
Arkia also confirmed it will resume its Tel Aviv to New York route this week, gradually reinstating its seasonal summer schedule. This week, Arkia will operate two flights on the route using aircraft leased from the Bulgarian airline GullivAir. Passengers with tickets from previously canceled flights during the Iran conflict will be able to use them on the upcoming flights, provided there is availability and their ticket terms allow it. Departures on June 26 and 28 from Israel will include a technical stop in Larnaca for a crew swap, though passengers will remain onboard. A one-way seat from New York to Tel Aviv next week is priced starting at $1,000.
Several international airlines are also beginning to return to Israel. flyDubai resumed flights last night, while both TUS Airlines and Blue Bird are scheduled to restart service today. Cyprus Airways will relaunch its operations tomorrow, and Hainan Airlines from China is expected to resume flights next week. Air Europa is targeting a mid-July return to Tel Aviv.
Tourism wholesalers are gradually reactivating their travel offerings from Ben Gurion Airport as well. Companies such as Flying Carpet and Aviation Links are resuming trips to Mediterranean and Eastern European destinations in early July by chartering planes from European carriers.
Nevertheless, only a limited number of foreign airlines are anticipated to resume flying to Israel in the short term. Transport Minister Miri Regev acknowledged that “this summer, most of the activity at Ben Gurion Airport will be by Israeli airlines.” She noted that many international carriers have already redirected their aircraft to other destinations and are unlikely to return quickly. This will lead to fewer available flights during the high-demand summer travel season, pushing ticket prices higher.
According to pricing data gathered by Globes, ticket costs for one-way flights to Israel in the coming weeks vary considerably. For example, flyDubai is offering seats from Dubai starting at $374. On TUS Airlines, low-cost fares from Larnaca are available until July 1, after which ticket prices rise to $352. Blue Bird lists flights from Athens beginning at $349.
{Matzav.com Israel}