Airlines Arkia and Israir began selling seats Saturday on rescue flights from several European cities to Israel, expanding availability beyond their own customers stranded abroad.
Until now, the flights had been reserved mainly for passengers who originally booked with the airlines and were unable to return due to disruptions. The new tickets are now open to all travelers, though prices do not include carry-on trolleys or checked baggage.
Israir is offering a flight from Athens to Tel Aviv on March 9 for $425 per person, while a flight from Larnaca to Tel Aviv on March 10 is priced at $295. A Rome–Tel Aviv flight on March 10 is listed at $444, and a Budapest–Tel Aviv flight the same day costs $495.
Arkia has also opened ticket sales for return flights to Israel, including Athens–Tel Aviv on March 10 for $391, and flights from Rome and Budapest priced at $489.
Another carrier, Air Haifa, has been selling tickets since Thursday for flights returning to Israel from Larnaca, with prices starting at $199 per person. Flights from Athens start at $249.
Some outbound flights from Israel have also resumed. Arkia is offering a Tel Aviv–Budapest flight on March 12 for $342 one way, while a round-trip ticket between March 11 and March 16 on the same route costs $762, not including a carry-on trolley.
Arkia is also operating rescue flights from Sri Lanka and Thailand to Larnaca, which is serving as a connection point for passengers continuing to Israel. The flights are mainly intended for travelers stranded in Asia whose connections through Dubai or Abu Dhabi were canceled due to intermittent airport operations.
A flight from Colombo to Larnaca is scheduled to depart between Monday and Tuesday at 2:40 a.m., landing at 9:10 a.m. Another flight will depart Saturday, March 14, at 11 p.m., arriving in Larnaca at 5:30 a.m.
An additional flight from Bangkok to Larnaca is scheduled for Wednesday, departing at 7:55 a.m. and arriving at 3:40 p.m.
The flights are operated with an Airbus A330 aircraft. A one-way ticket from Colombo to Larnaca on March 10 or March 14 costs $1,449 per person, including both a carry-on trolley and a checked suitcase.