18.4 million passengers travelled through Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport this year, an increase of 33% compared to the previous year, the Israel Airports Authority announced on Tuesday.
The figures highlight both the resurgence of the Israeli aviation sector and the postwar re-emergence of Tel Aviv as an international travel hub.
Some 60 foreign carriers are now flying to Tel Aviv compared to 80 two years ago, before the war, with the Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air expected to open a hub in Israel in the spring.
There were 134,000 flights out of Israel this year, an increase of 32% compared to 2024, the year-end figures show.
Fifty eight percent of passengers traveled on Israel’s three major carriers, with Israel’s flag carrier El Al capturing 38% of all traffic.
Wizz Air was the fourth most popular airline in Israel, and the first among foreign carriers.
With the war in Gaza still underway for much of the year, Greece topped the list of destinations for Israeli flyers with 2.2 million passengers, followed by the United States with 1.6 million, the United Arab Emirates with 1.5 million, and Italy and Cyprus with 1.2 million passengers each.
The statistics also highlight a political and economic decision by the Emirates’ Fly Dubai —which offers a whopping 10 daily flights to Tel Aviv—to fly to Israel almost uninterrupted throughout the whole two-year war, a rarity among foreign carriers.
The dramatic increase in flights to and from Israel this fall finally brought down airfares, which had remained stubbornly high for much of the last two years.
After two years of war, Israeli transportation and aviation officials offered upbeat assessments with the release of the year-end figures.
“2025 proves that the Israeli aviation [industry] knows how to cope with challenges and grow even in complex periods,” said Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev.
Sharon Kedmi, chief executive officer of the IAA, said, “The 2025 statistics illustrate a clear return of Israeli aviation to the center of the international map.”
Airport officials estimate that 22 million passengers will travel through Israel’s main international airport next year.
