Will Wizz Air Take Advantage of Ryanair's Vacancy? Talks Underway for a Hub in Israel

The Israeli government is negotiating with Hungarian airline Wizz Air to establish a hub at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, the Haaretz daily reported on Friday. According to the newspaper, the airline wants to increase the number of flights to Israel at the expense of its competitor, Ryanair, and fly there from countries including the Balkans, the South Caucasus, and the UAE.

The Israeli Ministry of Transport wants Wizz Air to also operate domestic flights from Ben Gurion Airport to the Red Sea resort of Eilat, Haaretz wrote, citing its sources.

The Hungarian carrier, in turn, is demanding an increase in slots at Tel Aviv Airport at the expense of Irish airline Ryanair. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary announced in September that his airline might not resume flights to Israel . Currently, the carrier's flights remain suspended.

Wizz Air would like to use a potential hub in Tel Aviv for direct flights to, among others, the South Caucasus, the Balkan countries and the United Arab Emirates, the newspaper reported.

She added that establishing a Hungarian airline base in Tel Aviv could be complicated by regulatory issues. Airlines operating from Israel must, among other things, employ Israeli pilots, deploy security agents on all flights, and operate flights even in times of war, including evacuation flights for Israeli citizens.

According to Haaretz, Wizz Air's expansion plans have raised concerns among Israeli airlines, which are demanding that the Hungarian carrier not be exempt from any of these regulations.

Due to the wars waged by Israel over the past two years, foreign airlines have repeatedly canceled flights to the country for extended periods. Some airlines still do not fly to Israel.

From Jerusalem Jerzy Adamiak (PAP)

adj/ kbm/