Ben Gurion Airport Reopens Terminal 1 for International Flights as Foreign Airlines Resume Service

Ben Gurion Airport in Israel officially reopens Terminal 1 for international flights starting July 1, 2026, marking a significant shift as the summer travel season begins. Over two million Israeli travelers are expected to pass through the airport in the coming month. The reopening allows flights to destinations such as Salzburg, Tirana, Baku, Batumi, Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Tbilisi, and Larnaca to operate from the secondary terminal.

Several major foreign airlines are resuming service to Israel after a hiatus due to recent conflicts, including Lufthansa restarting flights to Frankfurt, ITA Airways to Rome, and Air Baltic to Riga. Other prominent carriers like Air France, Swiss, Air Seychelles, Brussels Airlines, Fly One Romanian, and Eurowings are also expected to return later this summer. Additionally, airlines such as Austrian Airlines and Wizz Air plan to expand their summer schedules, contingent on stable security conditions.

However, some major international airlines remain cautious and have yet to resume flights to Israel. These include American carriers, Air Canada, Iberia, British Airways, SAS, KLM, Air India, EasyJet, Ryanair, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific. The Israel Airports Authority advises passengers to check their departure terminal carefully, complete online check-in when possible, and arrive three hours before their flight to accommodate increased passenger volume and security measures.