The deliberate resumption of flights to Israel by Ryanair on the finish of subsequent month is doubtful after the Irish low-cost service despatched a letter to the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) expressing issues about its allocation of flight slots, which may influence its timetable at Ben Gurion airport.
In a letter despatched final week to IAA CEO Sharon Kedmi, Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson warned that the slot allocation coverage at Ben Gurion airport doesn’t enable the airline to function in a deliberate and worthwhile method. Wilson wrote that the slot allocation is “unstable and doesn’t enable airways to plan worthwhile operations.” He even handed an ultimatum to the IAA saying that if Ryanair’s earlier slots should not returned by September 30, Ryanair will cancel its Israel winter and summer time flight schedule and divert its planes to different locations.
The IAA has rejected the demand. In an official response despatched Thursday evening the IAA insisted that Ryanair is handled equally and transparently like every other firm, in accordance with Worldwide Airport Slot Tips (WASG) and worldwide standards. The IAA harassed that airways equivalent to British Airways, American Airways and easyJet have additionally been pressured to surrender slots for the summer time of 2026, after failing to fulfill the necessities, and added, “The IAA doesn’t function below threats of flight cancellations.”
Earlier this month, Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary stated that the corporate may not resume operations in Israel even after the conflict in Gaza ends. He claimed Ryanair had “encountered difficulties and problematic remedy from the Israel Airports Authority.” He hinted that the non permanent suspension may flip right into a everlasting exit from the Israeli market.
What are the standard flight slot insurance policies worldwide?
Slots are time home windows for takeoff or touchdown that airways routinely obtain for a brand new season, supplied it has used at the least 80% of them within the earlier season. That is a world rule, in line with WASG, referred to as the “80/20 rule.”
Retaining a slot is conditional on common exercise. If an airline doesn’t use its slots within the required sequence (often at the least 80% of the time), it might lose them, and they’re reassigned. Because the begin of the conflict the IAA has applied a lenient coverage and maintained the slots even for airways that haven’t been flying to Israel, in order that they’d not be harmed in the long run. That is uncommon, however acceptable in emergency conditions.
The IAA just lately introduced that it will not proceed to freeze the state of affairs and that airways that don’t resume providers won’t be able to maintain slots. Ryanair didn’t decide to returning, and due to this fact misplaced the allocations it had. Now, it’s demanding that the slots be returned to it. However, in latest months, safety instability has continued, making it troublesome for airways to function in Israel and plan schedules.
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Ryanair is called a low-cost airline that doesn’t hesitate to resume and cancel routes in line with business concerns. Over the previous two years, the corporate has prolonged the cancellations of flights to Israel, generally for terribly lengthy durations of time, and has not been in a rush to renew operations, even in periods of calm.
Though that is an airline primarily pushed by profitability concerns, public sentiment in Eire, which is important of Israel, may function a major consideration in its choice to not resume flights to Tel Aviv.
Revealed by Globes, Israel enterprise information – en.globes.co.il – on September 26, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Writer Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
