Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said today that the Irish low-cost airline might not resume Israel flights even after the war in Gaza ends. He said, “I think there’s a real possibility that we won’t bother going back to Israel when the current violence recedes, We are tired of being messed around by the Israel Airports Authority. Unless the Israelis kind of get their act together and stop messing us around, frankly, we have far more growth elsewhere in Europe.”
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O’Leary’s comments put in question whether Ryanair will renew Israel flights as planned at the end of October.
Even before the summer, Ryanair said it would not return to Israel before October 25 at the earliest. In recent remarks, O’Leary has hinted that the temporary suspension of flights could become a permanent exit from the Israeli market.
During the war, Ryanair demanded the reopening of Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion airport as a condition for renewing flights, due to the lower fees and costs compared with Terminal 3. Even though Terminal 1 has since reopened, the airline now has additional grievances against the Israel Airports Authority.
Aviation market sources believe that the Israel Airports Authority is demanding a long-term commitment, beyond acceptable terms in the industry, in order to continue keeping Terminal 1 open, and that this is the reason for Ryanair’s remarks.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on September 11, 2025.
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