Ben Gurion Airport Adjusts Winter Flight Schedule With Route Changes
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Ben Gurion Airport is adjusting its winter flight schedule with changes to numerous routes and frequencies starting November 1. Low-cost carrier Wizz Air is reducing flights on several European routes but expanding its UK services. Other airlines like Lufthansa, United, and Delta are also modifying their schedules, with some increasing frequencies and others returning to pre-pandemic operations. Air Canada and Air India are set to resume flights to Toronto and Delhi, respectively, in late November and early December.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Ben Gurion Airport is adjusting its winter flight schedule starting November 1.
- Wizz Air is reducing flights on several European routes but expanding UK services.
- United Airlines is increasing flights to Newark and resuming routes to Chicago and Washington.
- Delta Air Lines is changing its New York JFK service to an overnight flight.
- Air Canada and Air India will resume flights to Toronto and Delhi in late November/early December.
Ben Gurion Airport is undergoing significant changes to its flight schedule as the official IATA aviation season begins and November commences, preparing for the winter months. This overhaul reflects increased international airline confidence in Israel, marked by relative stability and strong demand. While seasonal summer destinations are winding down, the winter schedule is being bolstered with new routes and updated timings, potentially leading to price reductions on some flights.
Low-cost carrier Wizz Air is implementing a winter strategy that includes reducing frequencies on several routes while strengthening others. Destinations seeing fewer flights include Rome (down from 15 weekly to 2 daily), Budapest (from 3 daily to 16 weekly), Larnaca (halved to 6 weekly), Sofia (from 9 weekly to 1 daily), Krakow (from 8 weekly to 1 daily), Bratislava (from daily to 5 weekly), and Catania (from 4 weekly to 2 weekly). Cluj-Napoca and Iasi in Romania will be suspended for the winter, except for a brief period in late December and early January. Naples flights are suspended for November due to airport renovations, resuming with 3 weekly flights afterward. Flights to Milan and Bucharest will maintain 2 daily services, Athens will have 1 daily, Warsaw 5 weekly, Vilnius 4 weekly, and Palermo and Venice 3 weekly.
Conversely, Wizz Air UK is significantly expanding its operations, increasing London Luton flights from daily to 12 weekly and London Gatwick from 5 to 6 weekly. The Lufthansa Group is also seeing adjustments: ITA Airways is increasing Rome flights from 2 to 3 daily, Brussels Airlines is doubling its frequency to Brussels to 6 weekly, and Austrian Airlines is reducing Vienna flights from 17 weekly to 2 daily. Swiss will operate only narrow-body aircraft for the winter, with Zurich flights using Airbus A321s. Eurowings continues with 3 weekly flights to Dusseldorf, and Lufthansa maintains its current frequency.
US carriers are also adjusting. United Airlines is increasing Newark flights from 2 daily to 17 weekly, adding 3 overnight flights. Its Chicago route will resume with 4 weekly flights, and Washington with 3 weekly. The direct San Francisco route is expected to return in summer 2025. Delta Air Lines is changing its New York JFK service to an overnight flight, facilitating earlier arrivals and onward connections.
Other schedule changes include KLM's Amsterdam flights now making a stop in Bucharest instead of Larnaca, with departures from Tel Aviv around 1 AM. Transavia is increasing its Marseille service from 1 to 3 weekly. International carriers Air Canada and Air India are set to resume flights to Toronto on November 30 and Delhi on December 1, respectively. This follows the recent return of Iberia and British Airways to the Tel Aviv route.
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