Finance
Israel's main airport to reopen on Monday in 'extremely limited format'
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 2, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 2, 2026
Quick Summary
Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international gateway, is expected to resume operations Monday evening in an "extremely limited format,” with gradual expansion of flights starting Tuesday—primarily by Israeli carriers—as security conditions allow.
Israel's main airport to reopen on Monday in 'extremely limited format'
Ben Gurion Airport Reopening and Flight Operations Amid Conflict
By Steven Scheer
Reopening Timeline and Initial Operations
JERUSALEM, March 2 (Reuters) - Israel's main international gateway, Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, said on its WhatsApp channel that it expects to reopen as early as Monday evening in an "extremely limited format" after the conflict with Iran shut Israeli airspace.
The airport said that starting on Tuesday, "flight operations will gradually expand depending on the security situation," although only Israeli carriers are expected to resume flights.
Impact of Regional Conflict on Air Travel
Israel and the U.S. began bombing Iran on Saturday, triggering a wave of retaliatory strikes across the Middle East that have led to flight chaos, with hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded worldwide.
Rescue and Recovery Efforts by Airlines
El Al Israel Airlines' Response
Flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines said on Monday it was seeking approval to operate charter flights from Europe to destinations bordering Israel to bring back passengers stuck abroad.
The airline is considering flights to Taba in Egypt, which borders the Israeli Red Sea resort city of Eilat and Aqaba in Jordan, which is also adjacent to Eilat.
Israeli airlines have so far cancelled flights through Tuesday. Flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines said it has halted the sale of tickets until March 21 to allow its customers whose flights were cancelled to be accommodated as soon as the airspace opens.
Arkia and Israir Airlines' Measures
Smaller rivals Arkia and Israir have suspended the sale of tickets until March 15 and March 18, respectively.
Arkia on Sunday began rescue flights and is operating flights between Athens, Rome, Larnaca and Sofia to Taba. It said tens of thousands of its customers are now stuck.
El Al said it was planning rescue flights from more than 20 cities, including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Bangkok, London, Paris and other cities in Europe to bring back an estimated 40,000 of its passengers stranded abroad.
Another 34,000 tourists are also currently in Israel.
It added it was examining the possibility of operating flights using private airline KlasJet from European cities to Taba and Aqaba.
It said these flights were "subject to approval from the State of Israel and the security authorities".
Israir said it was planning to start recovery flights to Taba starting on Tuesday from six European cities including Prague, Budapest and Sofia.
Border Crossings and Additional Measures
The Israeli Airports Authority said its Taba border crossing will be open 24 hours, while three crossings to and from Jordan will be open during day and evening hours.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Key Takeaways
- •Ben Gurion Airport to reopen Monday evening in very limited capacity, expanding operations gradually starting Tuesday; only Israeli airlines initially expected to resume flights.
- •El Al, Arkia, and Israir are organizing rescue and recovery flights—especially via border hubs like Taba (Egypt) and Aqaba (Jordan)—while suspending ticket sales through mid-to-late March.
- •Regional air chaos continues: hundreds of thousands stranded globally following U.S.‑Israel strikes on Iran and retaliatory airspace closures across the Middle East (theguardian.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Israel's main airport to reopen on Monday in 'extremely limited format'
1When will Israel's Ben Gurion Airport reopen?
Ben Gurion Airport is expected to reopen as early as Monday evening in an extremely limited format.
2Which airlines will resume flights first?
Only Israeli carriers are expected to resume flights initially after the reopening.
3Why was Israeli airspace closed?
Israeli airspace was closed due to conflict with Iran that resulted in airstrikes and regional instability.
4What measures are airlines taking for stranded passengers?
El Al and other airlines are planning rescue and charter flights from Europe and other cities to help stranded passengers return.
5Are border crossings near Israel open?
The Taba border crossing will be open 24 hours, and crossings to and from Jordan will be open during day and evening hours.
