First publication: EasyJet is not returning to Israel

The airline EasyJet, which postponed its return to Israel to the summer and said it would likely resume operations here in the fall, now announces that at this stage it does not plan to return to Israel until the security situation stabilizes. This means that Israeli passengers will have to continue to manage without one of the main low-cost airlines that have operated in Israel in recent years.

Competition for flight prices is felt especially during periods when the supply of flights is reduced. In recent years, the two most prominent low-cost airlines operating on routes to Israel were EasyJet and Ryanair. Ryanair stood out especially for its very low prices, in some cases offering flights for only about 5 euros, and captured a significant share of passenger traffic to and from Israel.

The absence of these companies from the Israeli market since the war continues to affect the level of competition. Even Wizz Air, which is considered one of the main low-cost players in Israel, currently operates without some of the competition it previously had from other companies on the same routes. Therefore, it also only occasionally offers the very discounted prices we were used to as low-cost companies.

As of now, Ryanair does not plan to return to Israel, partly due to political reasons against Israel. At the same time, the return of EasyJet is also moving further away. After the company postponed its return from summer to autumn, it now clarifies that it does not intend to return at this stage, until security conditions allow it.

The absence of low-cost companies reduces competition for flight prices. When fewer companies offer flights to the same destinations, passengers have fewer options to compare between them, and prices may rise. For Israelis, who have already dealt with a significant increase in flight prices over the past year, this means that fewer low-cost companies in the market also means fewer opportunities to fly at low prices.