Israel's Ben Gurion Airport Sees 103% Passenger Growth in June, Greece Tops Destinations

Ben Gurion Airport in Israel experienced a significant rebound in international air travel in June 2026, with approximately 1.7 million passengers passing through, marking a 103% increase compared to June 2025. This surge follows a challenging period last year during Operation "With the Lion," which had suppressed travel numbers. For the first half of 2026, the airport handled about 6.2 million passengers, compared to 7.7 million in the same period of 2025, indicating ongoing recovery but not yet reaching peak levels.

Israeli airlines dominated the market, carrying around 70% of passengers in June, up from 63.4% the previous year. El Al led with roughly 737,000 passengers, accounting for 44% of the airport's air traffic. Israir and Arkia followed with 229,000 and 208,000 passengers respectively, with Arkia showing the highest growth at 153% year-over-year.

Greece emerged as the most popular international destination, with about 293,000 travelers to or from the country, representing 17% of all international traffic at Ben Gurion. Athens alone accounted for approximately 118,000 passengers. The United States, Cyprus, and Italy were next in popularity, with 141,000, 140,000, and 132,000 passengers respectively. Other countries with notable passenger growth included Serbia (192%), Austria (170%), Germany (142%), and Switzerland (134%).

Low-cost carriers like Wizz Air, Bluebird, and Aegean also contributed to the traffic but remained far behind El Al, with passenger numbers of 87,000, 84,000, and 48,000 respectively. Looking ahead, the Israel Airports Authority forecasts continued growth, expecting daily passenger numbers to exceed 80,000 on weekdays through July. Peak days are projected on July 23 with 91,000 passengers and July 30 with a monthly record of 94,000 passengers across approximately 560 flights. July is expected to close with around 2.3 million passengers, a 25% increase over the previous year.