Transportation Minister Miri Regev on Tuesday evening presented the framework for reopening Israel’s airspace, announcing that Ben Gurion Airport will resume continuous operations beginning early Thursday, subject to security approval.
Officials estimate that at least 100,000 Israelis have been stranded abroad since the airspace was closed Saturday morning. The new plan is intended to bring them home.
Around-the-clock airlift
On Thursday, in the first phase, one full flight will land at Ben Gurion Airport every hour. These will be narrow-body aircraft carrying about 200 passengers each.
Starting Friday, the pace will increase to two narrow-body aircraft per hour or one wide-body aircraft per hour.
At peak capacity, if operations proceed as planned, the airport will be able to receive between 8,000 and 9,000 passengers per day. Flights will operate continuously, 24 hours a day, including over the weekend.
Aircraft will land, disembark passengers and depart again shortly afterward without extended ground time. Passengers will be permitted to collect luggage from baggage claim, but duty-free storage pickups will not be available. Operations will take place under heightened security measures.
The first phase applies to incoming flights only. It remains unclear when Israelis will be permitted to depart from Ben Gurion Airport.
Who can return?
The framework is intended primarily for Israelis currently abroad. The flight schedule will be published after the Civil Aviation Authority coordinates with airlines.
Ten percent of seats on each flight will be reserved for humanitarian cases. Passenger assignments will be coordinated between the airlines and the Transportation Ministry.
Transportation Ministry officials said that if the operation proceeds as planned, all stranded Israelis could return within seven to 10 days.
El Al: Priority for exceptional medical humanitarian cases
It remains unclear whether and how many El Al flights will operate on the Sabbath. In a statement, the airline said it welcomed the decision to gradually reopen Ben Gurion Airport and had completed extensive preparations in recent days to resume operations and return its customers to Israel.
Beginning Tuesday evening, El Al said it would proactively assign customers currently abroad to return flights based on the original ticket date, at no additional cost. The airline said it would operate in accordance with government directives and landing limitations at Ben Gurion.
El Al said it plans to gradually return customers from more than 20 destinations, prioritizing exceptional medical humanitarian cases. The airline emphasized that it will contact customers directly to assign flights and that its customer service center will not handle flight assignments. Updates will be posted on El Al’s website and social media platforms.
Israir to begin flights from Europe
Israir said it is implementing a contingency plan to operate flights from several European destinations to Ben Gurion beginning Thursday. The airline said it would continue prioritizing its own passengers on inbound flights.
Israir said its first flight selected to land at Ben Gurion will depart from Rome, describing the choice as symbolizing both the launch of the operation and the airline’s planned expansion in Italy beginning in May.
In the coming days, Israir plans additional flights to Ben Gurion from Berlin, Batumi, Athens, Tbilisi, Barcelona, Grenoble, Bergamo, Munich and Rovaniemi. At the same time, the airline will continue operating flights to Taba in Egypt as part of the national effort to return Israelis home quickly and safely.