Ben Gurion Terminal 1 to Reopen, Potentially Easing Crowds and Prices

Transport Minister Miri Regev has ordered Ben Gurion Airport’s Terminal 1 to reopen immediately, and no later than July 1, as the summer travel season begins. The terminal, which had been closed for a long period, is expected to resume operations within about two weeks. The move is part of preparations for a busy summer, when passenger and flight volumes are rising sharply.

The reopening is being made possible in part by clearing aircraft parked at Ben Gurion, including American planes that had occupied some of the parking stands near the terminal. Some of those aircraft are expected to begin moving out as soon as Sunday, within a broader plan to expand airport capacity for the coming months.

Industry sources say Terminal 1’s return could help both airlines and passengers. It would give airports greater operational flexibility and may encourage foreign carriers to expand service or return to full activity in Israel. Low-cost airlines already operating at Ben Gurion, including Wizz Air, may shift from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1, freeing space at the main terminal and helping redistribute congestion.

The change could also help bring back large low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and easyJet, whose cheaper fares partly depend on operating from Terminal 1 with lower taxes than Terminal 3. Some domestic flights to Eilat are also expected to move to Terminal 1. Analysts say that if more foreign airlines resume flying to Israel and seat supply grows, ticket prices could fall, especially on routes where competition remains limited, as Ben Gurion prepares for full summer operations with tens of thousands of passengers and hundreds of takeoffs and landings a day.