Ryanair Threatens to Pull Flights from Israel Amid Ongoing Disruptions

Michael O’Leary, CEO of the Irish low-cost giant Ryanair, said today (Monday) that the company is "losing patience" due to security disruptions at Ben Gurion Airport and may consider redirecting planes to alternative destinations.

Ryanair, like many other foreign airlines, ceased flights to Ben Gurion Airport earlier this month following a Houthi missile strike on the airport. The airline is slated to resume flights on June 5, but this date now seems uncertain.

"I think we’re also losing patience with Israel... the flights to and from Ben Gurion," said the Irish CEO in a call with analysts following the release of the company’s annual reports. "Frankly, if these disruptions continue, it’s better for us to move those planes elsewhere in Europe."

Ryanair also halted its flights to Israel in October 2023 following the outbreak of the war. In February 2024, the company resumed flights to Ben Gurion Airport but stopped again by the end of that month due to a dispute over the use of Terminal 1, which was temporarily closed, forcing Ryanair to operate from the more expensive Terminal 3.

At the end of March, Ryanair resumed flights to Israel with a flight from Baden-Baden (Germany) to Ben Gurion Airport. The company planned to operate routes from 22 cities in 12 European countries, but earlier this month, it suspended operations again following the ballistic missile strike.

Ynet contributed to this article.