Over two months have passed since the outbreak of the war against Hamas which is taking a heavy toll on the entire Israeli economy, particularly the aviation and tourism sectors. One of the places most impacted by the war is Ben Gurion Airport, which is getting emptier by the day.
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At the outset of the war, 1,215,956 passengers passed through the international flight terminals throughout October. This number plummeted to only 382,081 passengers in November. This represents a significant decline of 77.7% compared to November 2022. There was also a sharp decrease of 39.89% in the number of passengers on domestic flights year-on-year.
The data was published in the Israel Airports Authority monthly report, revealing several aspects of Israel's aviation sector during the second month of the war. For example, there was a 46.92% decrease in the number of private flights entering Israel compared to the same month last year.
Only a handful of foreign airlines continue to operate flights to Israel, leading to a change in the list of leading airlines. El Al, which has been at the forefront throughout the past year, still leads with 309,675 passengers (a 15% decrease year-on-year). However, airlines like Wizz Air and Ryanair, as well as Turkish Airlines, have stopped operating their airlines in the region.
Coming in second and third place in terms of passenger numbers, Israir stands with 26,785 passengers (a decrease of 43.25% from November 2022), and Arkia, which flew 18,103 passengers last month (a decrease of almost 53% year-on-year). The remaining foreign airlines, including the UAE’s Flydubai and Etihad Airways, serviced the rest of the passengers.
The withdrawal of international airlines from the country, alongside the fact that most departing passengers aren’t currently traveling for vacation purposes, has also changed the list of popular travel destinations for Israeli passengers.
For example, Turkey, which was the popular destination abroad for Israelis until October 7, no longer appears on the departures list at all. The United States, which stood in second place, has risen to the top spot.
In November 2023, the largest number of passengers flew to JFK Airport in New York (32,187 passengers), while the second-largest airport in the city, Newark Airport, saw 23,618 Israeli passengers arriving.
Athens received 31,110 passengers who flew to the Greek capital. Paris and Larnaca each saw 27,000 passengers arriving respectively. Meanwhile, London received 25,000 Israeli passengers throughout the month.
These destinations, however, experienced a significant decrease in the number of tourists compared to November 2022. For example, JFK Airport saw 40% less traffic from Israeli tourists while Newark Airport's numbers dwindled to 60% fewer passengers arriving from the country. Paris saw a 57% decrease in the number of Israeli tourists year-on-year with London’s Heathrow Airport seeing a 49% decrease.
Airports that were less affected by the war in Israel include Larnaca Airport, which recorded a decrease of less than 10% in passengers from Israel, and Bangkok International Airport, which maintained a stable flow in the number of passengers to and from Israel.
Last week, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) issued a level 2 travel warning threat to over 80 worldwide, including the UK, Germany, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia. A level 3 threat was published for South Africa, Eritrea, and several Asian countries.