Return flights for Israelis stuck abroad amid the war with Iran are expected to begin Wednesday, barring last-minute changes. Currently, Israel’s Airports Authority is allowing just two landings per hour, severely limiting capacity.
Flight availability and booking
Each airline is handling bookings differently. El Al has already opened registration—exclusively for customers who had a return ticket and were stranded abroad. Over 60,000 passengers have signed up on its website, awaiting updates.
Arkia is set to announce its destinations and pricing within hours. Unlike El Al, Arkia will open bookings to all stranded travelers, not just prior customers. Israir, in its initial stage, will focus solely on rescuing organized tour groups, not individual passengers.
Once airlines receive official slot allocations, they will inform passengers of departure times, locations, and ticket prices.
Flights already underway abroad
Even as Israel prepares its own evacuation flights, several European countries have already begun flying their citizens out of the region. On Monday night, a flight carrying 73 evacuees—25 Slovak tourists and five family members of Slovak diplomats—landed in Bratislava.
According to Slovak authorities, the flight also included 15 Poles, 14 Czechs, nine Austrians, two Slovenians and one citizen each from Estonia, Spain, and Malaysia. Slovakia plans to conduct a second flight on Tuesday to assist citizens of the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Latvia and France as well.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed that seven Hungarians had been evacuated with Slovak assistance. Meanwhile, Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova reported that a flight with 66 evacuees from Israel had landed near Prague. Poland said Monday it was organizing the evacuation of around 200 of its citizens via Jordan.
Prioritization process
Back in Israel, airlines will determine passenger priority, with special attention to urgent cases:
• Medical emergencies, such as patients requiring chemotherapy or essential medication.
• Unaccompanied minors who flew out with a flight attendant and were left stranded.
• Individuals with emergency military call-ups and medical professionals urgently needed in Israeli hospitals.
El Al clarified that priority is not based on when passengers registered. Instead, preference is given according to the original return flight date.
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Pricing for initial rescue flights
El Al has set prices starting at $99 from Larnaca and $149 from Athens to Tel Aviv. Arkia has yet to finalize prices but estimated range from $400–$500 one way, due to operational costs and the inability to fly passengers out of Israel on the outbound leg.
Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz told Ynet, “No one is subsidizing us. The state offers no support and we’re flying planes with no outbound passengers. The price of a ticket has to cover all our operational expenses. It’s simply not sustainable otherwise.”
Parents who are stuck abroad while their children remain in Israel—such as staying with grandparents—will not be given priority.
For exceptional circumstances not prioritized by airlines, the Transportation Ministry is forming a special task force with representatives from the Foreign Ministry, IDF Home Front Command and The National Emergency Management Authority. A public hotline will soon be launched to handle emergency appeals.
Israel Airports Authority head Sharon Kedmi told Ynet that passengers’ baggage will be waiting for them upon arrival, as part of efforts to streamline the ground process.
Family members and pre-arranged taxis will not be allowed near Ben Gurion Airport. Instead, shuttles and buses will be provided to designated destinations and the Israel Railways will assist with onward travel. The goal is to clear passengers from the airport quickly and efficiently.
Travel advice for stranded Israelis
For Israelis stuck in Europe, New York, Bangkok or Tokyo, the current recommendation is not to rush to Larnaca or Athens. Security officials warn against large gatherings of Israelis in centralized locations and the small number of flights means there is no airlift operation underway.
Passengers are advised to monitor available slots, register for flights and only then proceed to a hub—whether Larnaca, Athens or other cities where El Al planes are stationed, including in Europe and New York. The process is expected to be gradual, with a limited number of flights per day.
First published: 16:44, 06.17.25