Record August Sees Greece, Cyprus Top Israeli Travel Destinations
August marked one of the busiest summer months on record for Ben Gurion Airport, with approximately 2.65 million passengers passing through. This figure represents a roughly 20% increase compared to August 2025, according to the Israel Airports Authority. The airport handled an average of 95,000 to 100,000 travelers daily during the month. Year-to-date, passenger traffic has reached 11.1 million.
El Al emerged as the leading airline in August, transporting around 812,000 passengers and securing a 30% market share. Israir followed with 345,000 passengers, and Arkia with 323,000. Notably, Blue Bird ranked fourth, serving over 228,000 passengers and surpassing Wizz Air.
Greece and Cyprus were the most popular international destinations for Israelis in August, followed by Italy and the United Arab Emirates. Larnaca, Athens, Crete, and Rhodes were the top city destinations. For the year to date, Greece and Cyprus remain the most sought-after countries, with the United States and Italy also ranking high. Athens leads as the most popular city destination year-to-date, followed by Larnaca, Dubai, and Paris.
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