The Ministry of Transport approved this morning an increase in the passenger quota on flights departing from Israel, in a move that allows for a gradual expansion of the supply of seats. At this stage, the easement applies mainly on flights to European destinations, where the number of passengers has been increased from 100 to 120 seats per flight, effective today.
The move is part of the gradual opening of the skies being promoted by the Ministry of Transport, due to the increasing demand for flights ahead of Passover and the need to increase the supply of seats for passengers.
At the same time, flights to the US operated by wide-body aircraft, which include about 300 seats per flight, have already been allowed to operate at full capacity. However, flights to the east, including destinations in Asia, have not yet been approved to take off from Israel with a full aircraft.
The Ministry of Transport is considering a further increase in the quota, so that in the next phase the number of passengers could increase to 170 per flight. However, as of now, no official decision has been made on the matter, and pressure is being exerted in the industry to expand the allowance in the coming days, with Thursday the target for another update.
The move comes after a period in which aircraft occupancy was limited for security reasons, with one of the main considerations being the length of time the aircraft spends on the ground at Ben Gurion airport, a phase considered more vulnerable from a security perspective. The screening process for departing passengers is longer and more complex and therefore extending the length of time aircraft spend on the ground is considered as a higher risk. On the other hand, for incoming flights, the process can be carried out relatively quickly, so the restrictions have focused mainly on departures from Israel.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on March 17, 2026.
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