Spanish airline Air Europa announced Sunday that it will resume flights to Israel starting February 22. The airline, which previously announced the resumption of flights to Israel but then reversed its decision, will operate flights on the Tel Aviv-Madrid route, with options to travel to other destinations worldwide.
Read more:
Ahead of its return to the Israeli market, Air Europa is offering special prices, such as a round-trip ticket to Madrid for $262, including a carry-on bag but excluding checked luggage. A round-trip ticket to Buenos Aires, with a layover in Madrid, starts at $1,372.
Yoni Waxman, deputy director of Israeli travel agency Ophir Tours, is pleased about the airline's return. "Every return of an airline increases supply, leading to price decreases across all destinations with more flights. This also correlates with an increase in demand. When an airline returns, we see an uptick in demand for destinations served by that airline," he said.
Last week, British Airways announced it will resume flights to Israel starting April 1 and will renew the Tel Aviv-London Heathrow route. Flights will stop in Larnaca, Cyprus, where passengers will transfer to a narrow-body aircraft continuing to Israel, due to constraints imposed by British insurers.
The expansion of air routes to Israel is already evident, with Ben Gurion Airport expecting approximately 29,500 passengers on 169 incoming and outgoing international flights on Sunday – the highest number since the airport was emptied a few days after the outbreak of war against Hamas in Gaza. In total, around 15,800 passengers were to depart on international flights, while approximately 13,700 passengers were to arrive in Israel.