Ben Gurion Airport passenger traffic rises 5% in October 2026; UAE route drops 50%

Nearly 1.9 million passengers passed through Ben Gurion Airport in October 2026, a 5% increase year-on-year. El Al led with about 650,000 passengers. Passenger numbers to the UAE fell 50% after Flydubai suspended flights; Etihad Airways became the sole carrier on the route.

The number of passengers to the United Arab Emirates dropped by 50% in October 2026 compared to last year, following the suspension of Flydubai flights to Israel after the events of late September. The big winner is Etihad, the only airline currently operating on the route, which increased its passenger numbers to about 69,000 – a 49% increase compared to October 2025 and a 15% increase compared to September 2026. Etihad rose from eighth place at Ben Gurion Airport to sixth place. In contrast, TUS Airways lost 37% of its passengers (25,000) and Blue Bird lost 6% (62,000), after reducing frequencies and destinations for the winter. El Al remained in first place with about 650,000 passengers, followed by Israir (211,000) and Arkia (152,000). Total passengers at Ben Gurion Airport in October stood at 1.88 million – a 5% increase compared to last year, partly due to the elections. Popular destinations were Greece (200,000), the USA (190,000), Italy (180,000, a 40% increase), Cyprus (120,000), and Germany (110,000). Since the beginning of the year, 15,281,998 passengers have passed through Ben Gurion Airport – a decrease of 0.45%.