On the finish of final week Hungarian low-cost provider Wizz Air resumed flights to Israel for the primary time in three months.
The airline took a serious step in the direction of Israel by bringing ahead its renewal of Israel operations after plane had already been allotted to different locations. Sources say that Wizz Air made main adjustments to its flight schedules with a view to divert planes again to Israel.
The return to operations at Ben Gurion Airport can be gradual. Final weekend, the airline started 5 weekly flights to every of Budapest and Larnaca. On August 22, the airline’s path to London Luton can be renewed, with 5 flights every week. On September 1, extra routes can be added to Vienna, Sofia, Rome and Milan – every with three to 4 flights every week. The path to Bucharest may even be added with 5 flights every week and the path to Iasi with two flights every week. Beginning September 15, flights to Athens, Crete, Rhodes, Warsaw, Vilnius, Lorraine and Krakow may even resume. Flights to Cluj and Naples can be renewed on October 27 and 28, respectively.
How will Wizz Air’s return affect fares?
The resumption of Wizz Air’s companies to Israel ought to assist lower fares by rising the provision of flight tickets when demand is at its peak. The low-cost airline’s fares already replicate the excessive costs typical of intervals of excessive demand but it surely has been advertising and marketing the primary tickets, that are offered on the lowest worth based on the pricing algorithm used within the aviation trade Indications are that Wizz Air’s impression on decrease fares is especially noticeable on routes to locations the place provide is restricted and there may be little competitors.
For instance, based on information from Ophir Excursions, Wizz Air is providing last-minute round-trip tickets to Budapest in August for $248, in contrast with $327-536 being requested by Israeli airways. For flights to London through the Excessive Holidays, Wizz Air’s spherical journey fares are $558, in contrast with $977- $2,624 for its Israeli opponents. The hole can also be vital for tickets to Vienna: $558 versus $586-1,390. This hole is due, amongst different issues, to the truth that El Al has no extra tickets left in financial system class on most routes throughout peak demand intervals, and the preliminary costs the corporate gives are within the premium and enterprise lessons, whereas the opposite airways are providing the ultimate tickets in financial system lessons.
RELATED ARTICLES
However, on shorter routes, the place competitors is extra vital, the image adjustments. On flights to Larnaca on the finish of August, for instance, Wizz Air’s fares are decrease ($140 versus $198-164), however through the Excessive Holidays fares are much like Arkia ($400 versus $308-442). On flights to Sofia, fares are similar ($390 on Wizzair and Arkia).
Wizz Air’s return comes because the airline seeks to arrange a regional hub in Israel. Israel’s Minister of Transport Miri Regev helps the concept whereas the Civil Aviation Authority opposes such a hub at Ben Gurion Airport, as a result of potential hurt to Israeli airways. Regev can be wanting to please the voting public, as a result of such a hub would scale back fares to and from Israel, however she is going to come beneath enormous strain from the Israeli airways and their staff’ committees.
The federal government can also be contemplating permitting Wizz Air to fly between Ben Gurion airport and Eilat, together with compensation if the airline can’t fill flights.
Printed by Globes, Israel enterprise information – en.globes.co.il – on August 11, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Writer Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
