Tel Aviv airport traffic plunged in last three months of 2023

Air travel to and from Israel plunged in the last three months of 2023 amid the Israel-Hamas war, but the number of passengers travelling through Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv still rose 10% in 2023.

The number of international travelers reached 21.1 million in 2023, up from 19.2 million in 2022, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) said in a report on Sunday.

Over the first 9 months of the year, passenger traffic surged by an annual 38.5%, to 19.1 million, before the October 7 attacks by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

But since then, traffic has plunged, culminating in a 78% drop in November and 71% dive in December, the IAA said.

With almost all foreign carriers having halted flights to and from Israel as a result of heavy rocket attacks from Gaza and the war, flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines, opens new tab benefited, with the number of passengers rising 32.5% to 5.5 million in 2023 for a 26.3% market share at Ben Gurion.

"Ben Gurion remains operative while maintaining and observing the safety and security of the planes and passengers," said Udi Bar Oz, managing director of Ben Gurion.

In 2023, 3 million tourists visited Israel, up from 2.7 million in 2022.



Reuters