Russian airline Red Wings is to launch direct flights between Eilat's Ramon airport and Moscow and Sochi in Russia starting June 12. The route will start with one weekly flight, with the possibility of expanding to two weekly flights in the future if demand justifies it.
The move is part of cooperation between the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA), the Eilat Municipality, the Israeli Embassy in Moscow and the Eilat Hotel Association. Red Wings CEO Vladimir Kaminin said, "We plan to start with a weekly flight, with the potential to expand the operation to twice weekly flights or to larger aircraft."
Red Wings Russian flights will begin operating shortly after Israir's international flights to Athens from Ramon airport, which was launched last February but operated for only two weeks before being halted. Otherwise, Ramon airport only serves domestic flights operated by Israir, Arkia and Air Haifa, which depart from Ben Gurion Airport and Haifa Airport. In May, El Al will also begin operating daily domestic flights to Eilat for the first time in 12 years. With the operation of El Al's routes to Ramon Airport, the total number of daily flights between Ben Gurion Airport and Ramon will be 13-15 flights. This is in addition to 2-3 daily flights from Haifa to Ramon.
Before the Covid pandemic, Ramon airport also operated about 45 weekly flights abroad. Low-cost carriers Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Transavia operated flights from it to Paris, Rome, Vienna, Helsinki and elsewhere in Europe. After the pandemic, attempts by Israir and Arkia to relaunch international flights from the airport failed due to low occupancy and lack of economic viability. Attempts by foreign companies to return, including plans by Transavia and Red Wings in October 2023, were also blocked following the events of October 7 and the security situation. Now the industry hopes that Red Wings' joining the operation will re-energize the international aviation market from the southern city and strengthen Ramon's status as another gateway to Israel from the world.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 7, 2025.
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