Irish budget airline Ryanair has taken Tel Aviv off its online destination map following an earlier announcement that it would not offer flights to "Israel" during the 2025–2026 winter season, Israeli news outlets Maariv reported on Wednesday.

The decision casts uncertainty over the future of the airline’s operations in "Israel" and comes without any official statement from the carrier regarding the potential resumption of flights.

Completely taken off, not suspended

Maariv further reported that Tel Aviv has been completely taken off the airline's website, rather than being labelled as suspended.

The development underscores the company’s previous decision to halt all operations in "Israel" until at least summer 2026 and adds to apprehensions in the Israeli aviation sector that Ryanair may have no definitive plans to restart its services.

The airline has not released any additional public statement regarding a permanent exit from "Israel", beyond its prior notices about pausing flights for the upcoming winter season.

Ben-Gurion's woes at center of Ryanair's grievances

Ryanair has earlier explained that the suspension of its flights to "Israel" is due to two primary factors: the absence of approved slots for the summer 2026 season at Ben-Gurion Airport and uncertainty surrounding the ongoing operation of Terminal 1, Maariv reported.

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The airline emphasized that without clear regulations regarding slot allocation and terminal operations, it is unable to plan its medium-term activities in the Israeli market.

The freeze before the 2025–2026 winter season resulted in the cancellation of around 22 direct routes and the loss of roughly one million planned seats, significantly reducing low-cost options on several popular European routes from Tel Aviv and increasing pressure on the remaining carriers.

Ryanair butts heads with 'Israel'

Ryanair’s latest move comes after months of rising tension with "Israel’s" aviation authorities, and in late September, The Jerusalem Post reported that the airline would not restart Tel Aviv operations for the winter, citing slot delays and the closure of Terminal 1 as making its "Israel" program unfeasible.

Meanwhile, Ben-Gurion Airport rejected that explanation and accused the airline of mismanaging its own schedule.

In The Jerusalem Post report, Ryanair confirmed it was cutting 22 winter routes to Tel Aviv and reallocating capacity to other markets, indicating that "Israel" had dropped significantly in its internal priorities, and the recent removal of Tel Aviv from the airline’s destination map seems to reinforce that shift, at least for the upcoming seasons.

In September, Ryanair had already indicated that it might not return to "Israel" at all, urging Israeli authorities to “get their act together” on aviation regulation and airport operations, according to a separate Jerusalem Post report.

Earlier this year, the airline also stated that it had been “forced” to cancel flights to "Israel" due to factors beyond its control, pointing to the security situation and the operational challenges that foreign carriers encounter when flying to Ben-Gurion.

Ryanair 'may not return' to 'Israel' even after Gaza genocide ends

Irish airline Ryanair has repeatedly refused to fly to “Israel,” in the wake of the occupation entity’s onslaught in Gaza.

The Irish have long been standing advocates of occupied Palestine and have repeatedly called out the Israeli entity for its crimes against humanity. 

Irish airliner Ryanair announced on 11 September that it may permanently suspend its services to Israel, even if the genocide in Gaza ends, Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said.

Speaking to reporters in Dublin after the company’s annual general meeting, O’Leary said the low-cost carrier is being “messed around” by Israeli airport authorities, Reuters reported.

“I think there is a real possibility that we won’t bother going back to Israel … when the current violence recedes,” he told journalists.