The company flying from Israel is moving to Turkish hands: what will happen at Ben Gurion Airport?

Smartwings, an airline familiar to Israeli travelers, is set to come under the control of Turkish Pegasus following approval from the Czech competition authority. The deal, signed in December 2025 and valued at approximately 154 million euros, includes the acquisition of Czech Airlines and control of the Smartwings group. At this stage, no immediate change is expected in flights to Israel, and the brands will operate separately.

Smartwings, an airline well-known to Israeli travelers, is set to come under the control of Turkish Pegasus. The Czech competition authority has conditionally approved the deal, which was signed in December 2025 and valued at around 154 million euros. Under the agreement, Pegasus will acquire Czech Airlines and also gain control of the Smartwings group and its subsidiaries. The approval includes conditions to maintain competition on routes where the companies' operations overlap. At this stage, no immediate change has been announced in Smartwings' operations to Israel; the brands are expected to continue operating separately. The acquisition gives Pegasus a significant foothold in Central Europe, including a base in Prague and Smartwings' route network. For Israeli travelers, the bottom line is that Smartwings is not expected to disappear immediately, but the key question is how Pegasus will manage operations in the long term.