Wizz Air wants to be Israel’s largest inbound European carrier.
El Al Israel Airlines is calling on Israel’s government to reject any plan for Wizz Air to establish an operational base at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, warning that it would harm national resilience, undermine Israeli carriers and create unfair market conditions.
In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Transport Minister Miri Regev—translated from Hebrew and first reported by Israeli news organization N12—El Al Chairman Amikam Ben Zvi and CEO Dina Ben Tal Ganancia say the proposal “entails a risk of substantial harm to the state of Israel in general, and to Israeli airlines in particular.”
They describe it as “an extreme step” with “negative consequences for national resilience, the safety of Israeli passengers on flights from Israel, competition in the aviation industry, and the Israeli economy, both in normal times and in emergencies.”
The airline argues that foreign carriers are exempt from stringent and costly security requirements that apply to Israeli operators. Giving a base to Wizz Air could “lead to other foreign airlines requesting similar rights, ultimately reducing Israeli carriers’ market share and potentially forcing them to move operations abroad.”
El Al says the move would also grant access to scarce peak-hour departure slots at the airport, which it claims would come at the expense of domestic airlines’ historic rights. Additionally, the letter questions why the government would support a measure that “in effect weaken[s] Israel’s resilience.”
Wizz Air resumed service to Tel Aviv on Aug. 8, following a two-month suspension during the Israel-Iran war, and plans to restore its full flight schedule by early September. Initial restored routes will connect Tel Aviv with Wizz Air’s major bases, including Bucharest, Budapest, Larnaca, London Luton, Milan Malpensa, Sofia and Vienna.
Speaking in July, Wizz Air CEO József Váradi said the Budapest-based airline aims to become Israel’s largest inbound European carrier. Prior to the suspension of flights in June, Wizz Air offered 15 routes to Tel Aviv, providing about 47,200 weekly seats to and from the Israeli city, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
El Al’s opposition to a potential Wizz Air base comes as the flag carrier is preparing a significant expansion of its London Heathrow schedule this winter. According to a slot-swap request filed with Airport Coordination, El Al is securing additional slots from Virgin Atlantic, enabling it to boost service between Tel Aviv and LHR from 11X to 15X-weekly flights from Oct. 27 through March 26, 2026. The airline will also offer 5X-weekly flights to London Luton.
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