Outbound flights resume from Ben Gurion airport

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As part of the outbound flight resumption plan, starting today (Sunday), Israelis will be allowed to leave Israel on the rescue flights landing at Ben Gurion Airport with Israelis repatriated after being stranded abroad at the start of the war. Since rescue flights began on Thursday, only incoming flights were allowed, with the rescue flights leaving Ben Gurion airport empty, so that planes would not be required to wait on the ground for long in Israel.

Rescue flights begin landing at Ben Gurion airport

Wizz Air operating Sinai flights to rescue stranded Israelis

However, anyone who wishes to leave the country will be required to commit that they will not return to Israel for at least 30 days from the date of the flight. The Ministry of Transport has instructed airlines to make passengers sign on such a commitment on their tickets.

Starting Thursday flights were allowed only by Israeli airlines, using narrow-body aircraft to nearby destinations and at a rate of one flight per hour. Flights were subsequently expanded to two narrow-body aircraft per hour, or alternatively to one wide-body aircraft.

From today those flights will also be used by those departing from the country, but on a limited basis. Under the plan, passengers will be required to arrive at Ben Gurion Airport about an hour and a half before the flight and no earlier; only up to 70 passengers will be allowed to board each departing flight; passengers must arrive with minimal luggage; check-in will be completed in advance, online; security screening for passengers will be performed near a protected area; passengers will be allowed to board the plane only when the plane is already set for takeoff, to prevent a long wait on the ground. The aim is to minimize the time spent on the ground.

The reason for the difference between incoming and outbound flights is that outbound flights require a longer security check and a longer stay of the plane on the ground, and in the current situation, the preference is to minimize the time spent on the ground by planes as much as possible.

Published by Globes, Israel business news — en.globes.co.il — on March 8, 2026.