Greek Blue Bird Airways Rises to Fourth Largest Carrier at Tel Aviv Airport in July

Israeli airlines dominate the domestic aviation market with over 60% share, typically followed by low-cost Hungarian carrier Wizz Air and Emirati airlines Etihad and Fly Dubai. However, in July, Greek airline Blue Bird Airways achieved a notable milestone by capturing 7.5% of the market share at Ben Gurion Airport, flying approximately 173,100 passengers. This performance placed Blue Bird Airways fourth in passenger volume behind Israeli carriers El Al, Israir, and Arkia.

This is the first time Blue Bird Airways reached fourth place, with the only previous similar ranking occurring in May during the "Lion's Roar" operation when the airspace closure affected traffic, and the airline held a 3.7% market share. Year-to-date in 2026, Blue Bird Airways has transported 340,800 passengers, maintaining its fourth-place position with about 4% market share.

Although Blue Bird Airways is a Greek airline based in Heraklion, Crete, it has direct Israeli ties, being owned by the Israeli tourism group Kavim Hofesh, controlled by businessmen Ami Cohen and Arnon Englander. Since 2024, Kavim Hofesh also owns TUS Airways, headquartered in Larnaca, Cyprus. During the "Iron Swords" conflict, Blue Bird Airways and TUS Airways played a crucial role in the Israeli aviation market by continuing operations through most of the war, unlike many foreign airlines. Even during evacuation flights when only Israeli carriers were allowed to land at Ben Gurion, these airlines operated flights to nearby airports such as Taba in Egypt.