Israel Sees Record Departures Abroad in September Amid Holiday Rush
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Israel recorded a record 1.23 million departures abroad in September, a 17% increase from the previous year, largely due to the Tishrei holidays falling within the month. Air travel dominated, with 89% of departures utilizing flights, and the pace of air travel growth accelerated significantly in the third quarter. Despite airport disruptions, year-to-date departures have also surpassed 2025 levels.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel recorded 1.23 million departures abroad in September, a new monthly record.
- Departures increased by 17% compared to September 2025, reaching 1.23 million.
- The Tishrei holidays falling in September significantly boosted travel numbers.
- 89% of September departures, or 1.1 million, were by air travel.
- Air travel growth accelerated in the third quarter, with a 6% monthly increase.
- Year-to-date departures from January to September exceeded 7.31 million.
In September, 1.23 million departures by Israelis abroad were recorded, marking a historic high for the month. This figure represents a roughly 17% increase compared to September 2025, when 1.05 million departures were registered. The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) attributed the surge primarily to the timing of the Tishrei holidays, which all fell within September this year.
Air travel accounted for the vast majority of these departures, with approximately 1.1 million (89%) utilizing this mode of transport. Land border crossings saw 119,000 departures, and sea routes had 11,800. The CBS clarified that these statistics count border crossings, not individual travelers, and include Israelis residing abroad who visited the country. These returning residents accounted for 53,100 departures, or 4.3% of the total.
The record September departures coincided with an acceleration in air travel growth. From July to September, the average monthly number of air departures reached 855,400, a significant jump from the 540,100 average in the preceding three months. This indicates a monthly growth rate of about 6% during this recent period, compared to 1.8% in the earlier quarter.
Despite disruptions, congestion, and flight cancellations at Ben Gurion Airport, the total number of departures from January to September reached 7.31 million. This surpasses the 7.11 million recorded for the same period in 2025. Of the year-to-date departures, 6.27 million were by air, 977,600 were via land borders, and 60,500 were by sea.
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