By Editor,Jowena Riley
Copyright dailymail
Major airline set to NEVER fly to Israel again
READ MORE: Major airline resumes flights to Israel from UK earlier than planned
By JOWENA RILEY, TRAVEL WRITER
Published: 12:19 BST, 12 September 2025 | Updated: 12:19 BST, 12 September 2025
Ryanair has announced it may never resume operations in Israel when violence related to the Gaza war recedes.
Speaking at a press conference in Dublin this week, group chief executive Michael O’Leary said the airline was being ‘messed around’ by airport authorities there.
He told journalists: ‘I think there’s a real possibility that we won’t bother going back to Israel… when the current violence recedes.’
Earlier this summer, the airline said it would not return to Israel until at least 25 October, in line with other carriers such as British Airways and easyJet who have halted flights due to conflict in the region.
But now, O’Leary said Ryanair may walk away from the country for good due to higher rates charged by Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport for use of the main terminal, while the cheaper low-cost terminal remains closed for security reasons.
He added: ‘Unless the Israelis kind of get their act together and stop messing us around, frankly, we have far more growth elsewhere in Europe.’
It comes after several airports in Poland temporarily closed on Wednesday as the country’s military shot down Russian drones, causing flight delays for many European airlines – including Ryanair.
The carrier reported just 60 per cent of its flights were on time, compared to a normal rate of around 90 per cent.
Ryanair has announced it may never resume operations in Israel when violence related to the Gaza war recedes
Ryanair may walk away from the the country for good due to higher rates charged by Tel Aviv ‘s Ben Gurion Airport for use of the main terminal while the cheaper low-cost terminal remains closed for security reasons
O’Leary further warned of the impact the Russia-Ukraine war may have on airlines in years to come.
He said: ‘There’s a huge increase in NATO air activity over southern and eastern Poland, that constrains the availability of airspace for commercial travel.
‘This is going to be an ongoing issue for all airlines and all European citizens for the next number of years. The risk is one of continuous disruption, rather than of safety.’
It comes after Ryanair launched a public campaign urging passengers affected by air traffic control (ATC) delays to email UK transport secretary Heidi Alexander directly to voice their complaints.
O’Leary (pictured) said: ‘Unless the Israelis kind of get their act together and stop messing us around, frankly, we have far more growth elsewhere in Europe’
The move comes amid ongoing frustration over disruption blamed on the UK’s ATC provider, Nats.
The budget airline has launched a website called ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight,’ where it shares Ms Alexander’s publicly available email address and encourages passengers to demand action.
According to the Irish carrier, 5,782 of its flights have been impacted by delays linked to Nats between January 1 and September 1 this year – affecting over one million passengers.
Ryanair called on Ms Alexander to ‘fix’ Nats, which it described as ‘mismanaged and short-staffed’.
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Major airline set to NEVER fly to Israel again
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