## Israel's Ben Gurion Airport Reopens, But Foreign Airlines Stay Away, Sending Airfares Soaring
Ben Gurion International Airport has fully reopened after 40 days of severe war disruptions, but the return of travelers has collided with a stark absence: foreign airlines are not coming back. This critical gap in capacity, as Israeli carriers scramble to restore schedules, has triggered a sharp and immediate spike in airfares. The reopening, enabled by a ceasefire, has unleashed pent-up demand from a population whose 'new normal' was scrambling for missile shelters, creating a perfect storm of high demand and critically constrained supply.

The de facto shutdown of commercial air traffic began when foreign and international carriers canceled flights following the outbreak of hostilities in late February. Now, despite the airport's operational status, these airlines are holding off on a return, leaving Israeli airlines like El Al as the primary providers. These carriers are hastily trying to meet an expected burst in spring and summer travel demand, but they are doing so without the seat capacity typically supplied by the global airline network.

The situation is being exacerbated by rising fuel costs, further pressuring ticket prices. The combination of surging demand, reduced overall seat inventory, and higher operational costs means travelers seeking to leave or enter Israel are facing dramatically higher fares. This market anomaly highlights the lingering economic and logistical fallout from the conflict, where a return to physical normalcy does not equate to a return of critical commercial infrastructure, placing significant financial pressure on consumers and testing the resilience of the local aviation sector.
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- **Source**: ZeroHedge
- **Sector**: The Network
- **Tags**: Israel, Aviation, Ceasefire, El Al, Travel Disruption
- **Credibility**: unverified
- **Published**: 2026-04-11 02:22:20
- **ID**: 59693
- **URL**: https://whisperx.ai/en/intel/59693