Wizz Air faces opposition from Israeli carriers as it plans Tel Aviv  base

Plans by the European low-cost carrier Wizz Air to open a new base in Israel are coming under attack from locally based airlines. The plans, which would see the Hungarian-based low-cost airline group set up a proposed base at Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), have come under fire from Israeli-based airlines El Al, Israir, and Arkia Airlines. The three airlines fear that the arrival of the budget airline could inflict financial harm on them and drive down market stability and national resilience.

According to a report in The Times of Israel, if Wizz Air’s plan goes ahead, which is being supported by Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev, the Hungarian carrier will operate over 200 weekly flights and will almost certainly drive down fares from Tel Aviv in a market where air fares are considered to be “exorbitant”, according to the report.

However, the potential arrival of a new competitor in the Israeli market has unsettled the local carriers, fearing that fares could tumble due to the increased competition and that a price war could follow as a result. However, Wizz Air claims the opposite, that its entry into the market will give competition for flights from the Israeli capital a much-needed boost and will bring down “sky-high fares” that currently prevail.

Dirk Grothe / digroaero.comIsrael’s flag carrier, El Al, and smaller Israeli rivals Arkia and Israir have been arguing that allowing Wizz Air to open an operational base in the country would significantly harm the local airlines and undermine national resilience, especially during emergency war periods. However, opposition to the airlines’ stance is gathering momentum in the Israeli parliament, where a heated debate over the issue is reportedly taking place.  

Are local airlines profiteering?

Wizz Air’s proposal to open a new base at Tel Aviv comes as Israeli airlines, including El Al, are being accused of “price gouging” and wartime profiteering; effectively putting up their fares while other international airlines have suspended services to the country due to conflict, effectively taking advantage of the high demand for air travel and profiteering as a result. Many international airlines have either suspended or cancelled flights into and out of Israel since the latest war with the Hamas group began in October 2023.

Since the start of the war with Hamas on October 7, 2023, travelers from Ben Gurion Airport have been left almost entirely dependent on El Al, Israir, and Arkia, plus a handful of other airlines, mostly from the Persian Gulf and Eastern Europe, for access to international flights.

Wizz AirIndeed, the Israeli airlines are facing class action suits for selling exorbitant air fares after reporting record profits over the past two years, while flight ticket prices have continued to soar. El Al’s annual net profit grew nearly fivefold to a record high of about $545 million in 2024, for example.  

Government support for Wizz Air

Meanwhile, the Transportation Ministry, led by Miri Regev, has been advancing talks with Wizz Air in recent months to establish an operational aviation base in Israel. The move would allow the Hungarian low-cost carrier to park planes at Ben Gurion Airport and add more flights to more destinations, thereby increasing scarce seat supply, which in turn is expected to lead to lower fares.

Wizz Air potentially has the personnel and aircraft available to open such a base following the recent announcement that the airline group would be closing down its Abu Dhabi-based carrier and switching that company’s aircraft assets to other bases across Europe and potentially elsewhere. Should the Tel Aviv base go ahead, Wizz Air is likely to compete directly with the local carriers for their preferred slots for take-offs and landings on major European routes from Ben Gurion.

Wizz AirUnder the plans currently being discussed, Wizz Air is seeking to establish an Israel hub by April 2026 and initially base three aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport. The base would enable the low-cost carrier to operate as many as 30 daily flights from Tel Aviv to destinations across Europe. Wizz Air declined to comment on the discussions when questioned by The Times of Israel.

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