European airlines avalanche back to Tel Aviv: ITA, Ryanair and Wizz Air depart from Italy
European airlines are returning en masse to Tel Aviv, after connections were disrupted in the days [...]
Wizz Air
Swiss
Ryanair
Lufthansa
LOT Polish Airlines
ITA Airways
El Al
Austrian Airlines
Air France
Aegean Airlines
Star Alliance
SkyTeam
ZRH
Israel
European airlines are returning en masse to Tel Aviv, after links were severed in the days following the Hamas attack on Israeli territory last Oct. 7.
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First companies to return to Ben Gurion Airport. had been those of the Lufthansa group., as of last January 8. For almost a month now, Lufthansa flies four times a day from Frankfurt and three times a day from Munich with a mix of A321neo and A321ceo; Swiss connects its Zurich hub to Israel five times a week with A320neo and Austrian Airlines offers as many as eight weekly A320ceo connections from Vienna.
Since last January 24, Air France has also restarted. and it did so in a big way, as far as aircraft used, since the Paris Charles De Gaulle-Tel Aviv is operated Three times a week with a three-class A350-900 (Business, Premium Economy and Economy). From Orly is instead available, again three times a week, a link from the low-cost Transavia.
Staying in Europe, LOT Polish Airlines have also resumed flights., which flies between Warsaw and Israel four times a week with a Boeing 737 MAX 8, the Romanian Tarom, which operates from Bucharest twice a week with 737-800 and Greece's Aegean Airlines, which has as many as six flights a week, from Athens, with A320s.
The big news, for us, is the resumption of connections between Italy and Israel. The first to return will be, on February 1, Ryanair With three flights per week (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday) that will become five from April 2 (every day except Monday and Sunday) From its main Italian hub at Bergamo Orio al Serio.
Starting March 31, the Irish low-cost carrier will fly from Rome Fiumicino every Tuesday Friday and Sunday and from Treviso every Sunday; April 1 will trigger the Bologna-Tel Aviv every Monday and Saturday and the Naples-Tel Aviv on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; from April 2 it will be the turn of the Bari-Tel Aviv every Tuesday and Saturday and April 3 at the Turin-Tel Aviv Every Wednesday and Saturday.
Starting March 1, it will be back on track the other low-cost Wizz Air, with three weekly frequencies (on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) from Rome Fiumicino.
Finally, on March 3, it will be ITA Airways' turn.: the national airline announced. three flights a week from Rome Fiumicino Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. An Airbus A320 will fly the route, and not (likely for insurance and contract-related issues with the lessor) the all-new three-class A321neo, which was scheduled to debut on the Rome-Tel Aviv route on December 1 before hostilities broke out in Israel. In a note, the company announced that. the three weekly frequencies will be increased during Summer 2024, "consistent with the evolving geopolitical scenario."
During the last four months (except for the very first days after October 7), Italy and Israel have always remained connected, however, thanks to the national airline El Al, which in fact has not masi stopped flying in these weeks of conflict. At Rome Fiumicino, the Israeli carrier flies ten times a weeka (not Saturday) with Boeing 737-800 and -900 And on Milan Malpensa 12 times a week always with 737 -800 and -900.
