Passenger numbers at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv plunged 43% in the first nine months of 2024, as the repercussions of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, prompted airlines to withdraw or reduce flights, according to Bloomberg.
The Israel Airports Authority said that Israel’s main airport received 10.85 million international passengers between last January and September, down from 19.01 million in the corresponding period of 2023.
She noted that as a result of the limited services provided by foreign airlines, more passengers are now traveling on Israeli airlines, which have seen travel traffic grow by up to 25%.
Many airlines have suspended and resumed their services to Israel repeatedly since October 7, with the escalation of the war to include Lebanon, amid further disruption in travel in the region, according to the agency.
Today, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency renewed its recommendation that commercial aircraft avoid Israeli and Lebanese airspace, prompting a number of companies to stop flying to the two countries.
According to Bloomberg, airlines flying over the region are forced to take a more circuitous route using the airspace of other countries to avoid potential flashpoints.
Tourism losses
It is noteworthy that the tourism sector in Israel incurred a loss amounting to 19.5 billion shekels ($5.25 billion) during a year of the aggression on the Gaza Strip and its repercussions in the region, according to what the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported, late last month.
Losses in the international tourism sector amounted to 18.7 billion shekels ($5.04 billion), while losses in the domestic tourism sector amounted to 756 million shekels ($204 million), especially in northern Israel, according to figures quoted by the newspaper from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.
