Israel’s aviation sector faced mounting disruption Monday after new government restrictions sharply limited outbound flights from Ben Gurion Airport, prompting airlines to warn that operations are becoming unsustainable.
Arkia Airlines said the latest directive by Transportation Minister Miri Regev — capping departures at 50 passengers per flight — effectively amounts to a shutdown of Israel’s airspace.
“While we are operating in accordance with the guidelines and prioritizing passenger and crew safety, the current framework does not allow for normal aviation activity and effectively constitutes a closure of Israel’s skies,” the airline said in a statement.
Arkia said it would continue operating scheduled flights Monday, including a direct flight to New York, but is preparing to shift most of its operations to nearby airports in Aqaba, Jordan, and Taba in Egypt, as it did earlier in the war. Flights to destinations including New York, Bangkok and Hanoi are expected to depart at full capacity from Aqaba.
The airline said it would maintain limited operations from Ben Gurion Airport, primarily to Larnaca and Athens, largely for humanitarian needs.
“Arkia does not intend to be put in a position of choosing between passengers who have already purchased tickets,” the company said.
The new restrictions, announced Sunday, reduce the number of passengers allowed on departing flights from about 120 to 50 and limit takeoffs to one flight per hour. The Transportation Ministry said the measures were based on a security assessment following recent incidents at the airport and are intended to protect lives. Officials said the guidelines could change depending on developments.
Arkia CEO Oz Berlovitz said the restrictions make regular operations impossible.
“I cannot stand at the aircraft door and decide who boards and who stays behind,” he said. “You cannot run an aviation system like this.”
He added that the company is prioritizing humanitarian cases but acknowledged that flying near-empty planes during the peak travel period ahead of Passover is not economically viable.
Israel’s national carrier El Al said it is reviewing the implications of the new framework and working to establish a reduced schedule that would maintain essential air links to and from Israel.
The airline also called for the opening of Ramon Airport, near Eilat, as a complementary alternative to Ben Gurion Airport.
Senior aviation officials said the new restrictions make it extremely difficult to maintain flight operations and warned that many travelers are unlikely to be able to fly during the upcoming holiday period.