The decision would mark the end of a nearly two-year period without Turkish Airlines flights at Ben Gurion Airport.
Turkish Airlines was considering asking Israeli authorities to restore service to and from Ben-Gurion Airport in the coming days, Israeli media reported Sunday night. The signal, if realized, would mark a potential thaw after nearly two years without scheduled flights on the Tel Aviv-Istanbul route.
Channel 12 first reported the deliberations, which were then carried by local news outlets. No decision had been announced by the airline, and no Tel Aviv flights appeared on its public schedules as of publication. Turkish Airlines also had not issued a press release about resuming service.
Some reports linked the possible move to a warming in ties amid President Donald Trump’s proposal to secure a hostage release and end the Gaza war, a plan in which Turkey has played a role. The airline has not commented publicly on any linkage.
Not expected to return in near term
The report followed months of indications that Turkish carriers were staying out of Israel’s market. In late April, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus gave up their Ben-Gurion slots and said they did not expect to return in the near term, alongside other foreign carriers that halted service after October 2023.
Any resumption would come despite Ankara’s recent escalation against Israel. On Aug. 29, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced new restrictions, including closing airspace to certain Israeli flights and curbing Israel-bound trade.
Turkish Airlines planes on the runway at Ben Gurion International airport near Lod on at night, on July 4, 2013. (credit: MOSHE SHAI/FLASH90)
Before the war, Turkish Airlines operated more than 10 daily flights between Tel Aviv and Istanbul and, at peak times, as many as 16, with Istanbul serving as a major connection hub for Israeli travelers to Europe, North America, and Asia.
In recent days, Turkish Airlines operated at least one special flight connected to the deportation of flotilla activists from Israel to Istanbul, underscoring that ad hoc operations have continued even without scheduled Tel Aviv service.
The Israel Airports Authority and Turkish Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
