Ryanair has suspended flights to Israel less than a month after they resumed due to a dispute over costs with the airport in Tel Aviv.
The budget carrier restarted flights to Ben Gurion International airport from parts of Europe on February 1 after a lengthy suspension due to the conflict in Gaza.
But Ryanair halted flights again on Tuesday and said they would remain suspended until the airport reopens a dedicated terminal for low cost flights.
The airline said it had written to the airport calling on it to confirm when Terminal 1 will reopen, “which will allow Ryanair to resume selling low fare flights to and from Tel Aviv”.
Chief executive Eddie Wilson said: “We worked hard with the Israeli government and Ben Gurion International airport to re-establish Ryanair’s low fare flights to/from Tel Aviv on 1 February.
“We were deeply disappointed by Ben Gurion International airport’s refusal to reopen the low-cost Terminal 1 where Ryanair normally operates.
“We don’t mind if the airport forces us to put Ryanair flights through Terminal 3 on an interim basis because of the large decline in traffic to/from Tel Aviv, but this should be done on the agreed Terminal 1 prices, not Terminal 3 prices.”
He added: “Ryanair wishes to support Ben Gurion International airport and the recovery of air travel to/from Israel, but we cannot do so, or ask our passengers to pay higher air fares while Ben Gurion International airport keep[s] the low-cost Terminal 1 closed and force[s] our flights into the high-cost Terminal 3, charging fees which were never agreed by Ryanair.
“We call again on Ben Gurion International airport to confirm a date when the lower cost Terminal 1 facility will be reopened, which will allow Ryanair to resume selling low fare flights to/from Tel Aviv which have done so much to grow air travel and tourism for Israel.”