Travel Operations
Key points
- 47 airlines including Israeli carriers are scheduled to operate at Ben Gurion during August — the first refreshed official aggregate since end-June, superseding the 33-to-44 trend band carried previously.
- Terminal 1 handles international departures; all international arrivals remain at Terminal 3. Some carriers split operations between terminals — the departure terminal must be verified per flight.
- Punctuality is the weak point. An analysis of 3,499 departures over 20–27 July found roughly 31% on time, average delay near 40 minutes; early-August reporting cites averages of about 65 minutes at T3 and 61 minutes at T1.
- The root cause is unresolved. US refuelling aircraft continue to occupy civilian parking stands. A cap of 20 was agreed; materially more were reported present in mid-July. Air-traffic control disruption in Greek airspace compounds it.
- European access improved, North American access did not. Condor started daily Frankfurt service on 2 August and Brussels Airlines returned on 1 August; American Airlines pushed its return to late March 2027.
- ETA-IL is unchanged — ₪25, valid up to two years or passport expiry, 90 days per visit, processing up to 72 hours.
Key insights for operators
- Rebuild your airport timings for August. Three hours at departure is the Authority’s own figure. For groups with checked baggage and a single check-in agent, plan longer, and brief guides that baggage delivery on arrival has also been running long.
- Avoid the five named peak dates where the itinerary allows — 6, 13, 17, 20 and 27 August. These are published in advance, which makes them plannable.
- Do not sell a connection you cannot protect. With one in three departures on time, any self-transfer through a European hub on the same day carries real exposure. Prefer through-ticketed itineraries so the carrier owns the rebooking.
- Treat North American resumption dates as intentions, not schedule. United and Delta target early September; American is out to late March 2027; Air Canada’s own notice and trade reporting differ by about six weeks. Reconfirm carrier by carrier before committing autumn group space.
- Send clients only to the official ETA-IL portal. Third-party sites charging inflated service fees remain in circulation. The fee is ₪25 and the only legitimate domain is israel-entry.piba.gov.il.
Ben Gurion Airport — operating picture
| Indicator | Position | Source / date |
|---|---|---|
| Airport status | Open, full services. Reopened 9 Apr 2026 | IAA |
| Airlines, August 2026 | 47, including Israeli carriers | IAA via Calcalist/CTech, 2 Aug 2026 |
| Expected throughput, August | ~2.6 million passengers; 90,000–95,000 on a normal weekday | IAA, 2 Aug 2026 |
| Named peak dates | 6, 13, 17, 20 and 27 August — around 100,000 passengers each | IAA, 2 Aug 2026 |
| On-time performance | ~31% of departures on time, ~40 min average delay (20–27 Jul, 3,499 flights). Early-Aug: ~65 min average at T3, ~61 min at T1 | Ynetnews 28 Jul; Jerusalem Post, early Aug |
| Terminals | T1 international departures since 1 Jul 2026 and domestic to Ramon since 28 Jun; all international arrivals at T3 | IAA public notice |
| Stand capacity | Constrained by US refuelling aircraft occupying civilian stands. Cap of 20 agreed; higher numbers reported mid-July. ⚠ UNCONFIRMED current count | Trade press, Jun–Jul 2026 |
| IAA passenger guidance | Arrive three hours before departure; check in online; verify departure terminal; use self-service bag drop; travel hand-baggage-only where possible | IAA, 2 Aug 2026 |
Air access — who is flying
Operating to Tel Aviv in August 2026
Israeli carriers: El Al, Arkia, Israir and Air Haifa are operating full schedules, and remain the only source of non-stop North America service.
European and Lufthansa Group: Lufthansa (Frankfurt, and twice-daily Munich added 1 Aug), SWISS (Zurich), Austrian (Vienna), ITA Airways (Rome), Brussels Airlines (weekly, resumed 1 Aug), Eurowings (Düsseldorf and Hamburg), Air France (Paris), Condor (daily Frankfurt, started 2 Aug), Aegean and Bluebird (Greece), TUS Airways (Larnaca), Air Europa (Madrid), Wizz Air, Smartwings, FlyOne, Red Wings and ALK.
Beyond Europe: Etihad (Abu Dhabi), FlyDubai (Dubai), Ethiopian (Addis Ababa), Hainan (Beijing), Georgian Airways (Tbilisi), Uzbekistan Airways (Tashkent).
Route lists are compiled from carrier and trade sources and change frequently. Confirm the specific flight with the carrier or the official flight board before booking.
Suspended — and what each carrier says
| Carrier | Stated position | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Suspended to late March 2027 — extended from a previously indicated January 2027 return | Confirmed 3 Aug 2026 |
| United Airlines | Newark suspended; targeting 7 September 2026 | Plan, not yet operated |
| Delta Air Lines | JFK targeting 6 September 2026; Atlanta suspended into late November; Boston postponed | Plan, not yet operated |
| Air Canada | ⚠ UNRECONCILED The airline’s own published notice indicates suspension to 24 October 2026; trade reporting cites 7 September | Conflicting — confirm with carrier |
| British Airways | Tel Aviv suspended; the airline’s own travel-news page extends rebooking flexibility to end-October 2026 without naming a resumption date | Carrier page is controlling |
| Iberia | ⚠ Suspended; reported resumption dates conflict. Confirm directly | Unresolved |
| easyJet | Not returning before autumn 2026 on the most recent reporting | Provisional |
| Ryanair | Withdrawn from Tel Aviv following a terminal-charges dispute; no confirmed return date | No date |
| Air India | Delhi service cancelled through 31 August 2026 on the most recent reporting | Provisional |
North America, in one line: no non-stop US or Canadian carrier is operating to Tel Aviv in August 2026. El Al and Arkia carry the non-stop market from New York, with El Al also serving Newark, Miami, Los Angeles and Boston. The earliest carrier returns are targeted for early September.
Entry requirements — ETA-IL
| Fee | ₪25 per applicant |
| Validity | Up to two years, or until passport expiry — whichever comes first |
| Maximum stay | Up to 90 days per visit |
| Processing | Up to 72 hours. Apply at least a week before travel for groups |
| Mandatory since | 1 January 2025, for travellers from visa-exempt countries |
| Official portal | israel-entry.piba.gov.il — the only legitimate domain |
Fee-inflation warning. Third-party sites imitating the official portal charge substantially more than ₪25 and sometimes promise guaranteed or express approval, which no intermediary can provide. Applications are individual — each traveller applies separately. Direct clients only to the .gov.il address, and never allow passport or payment data to be entered elsewhere.
No change to fee, validity, eligibility or process was identified since the previous review. ⚠ This is a negative finding based on absence of any contrary official notice, not a positive confirmation bulletin. See the ETA-IL page.
Ground operations
Rail. Israel Railways operates the Ben Gurion airport link and the national network. No current disruption notice was identified for early August. ⚠ Absence of a notice is not confirmation of normal service — check rail.co.il on the day for airport transfers. Note the network’s northern coastal terminus is Nahariya; there is no rail service to Kiryat Shmona.
Road and coach. No road closures affecting tourist routes were identified this cycle. Intercity coach and private-coach operations are running; no current disruption was reported.
Airport ground services. A free internal shuttle connects Terminals 1 and 3 according to the flight schedule, and licensed taxis serve both terminals. A one-hour free waiting car park for meeters and greeters has operated since 1 June 2026 — useful for coach and transfer coordination, since stopping on airport roads is prohibited and camera-enforced. The Authority also warns that valet parking is not an authorised service at Ben Gurion and that companies offering it do so unlawfully.
Hotels. The sector is operating normally with capacity readily available. National average occupancy in the first half of 2026 ran below the prior year and well below pre-2023 levels, with wide regional variation — Herzliya and Eilat performing best on domestic demand, Jerusalem, Tiberias and Nazareth weakest, which is where inbound group business concentrates. New supply continues to open in Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Eilat. For operators this means negotiating leverage on allocations, particularly in Jerusalem and the Galilee.
Land border crossings
| Crossing | Connects | Published hours |
|---|---|---|
| Menachem Begin (Taba) | Egypt — Eilat | 24 hours |
| Yitzhak Rabin (Arava) | Jordan — Eilat / Aqaba | 06:30–20:00 |
| Allenby (King Hussein) | Jordan — Jericho corridor | 08:00–17:00 |
| Jordan River (Sheikh Hussein) | Jordan — Beit She’an | 08:30–18:00; last arrival 16:30 |
Hours are as published by the Israel Airports Authority and are subject to change at short notice, including for Israeli and Jordanian public holidays. Confirm before scheduling a same-day crossing for a group.
⚠ Unconfirmed or unreconciled this cycle: current US refuelling-aircraft count; Air Canada and Iberia resumption dates; live Israel Railways service status; specific carrier frequencies. Information for professional decision-making; not travel, security, legal or financial advice.
Israel Tourism Intelligence Hub 