The talks with the Ministry of Transport broke down in mid-May after the Hungarian airline was slow to resume Israel flights following the war with Iran.
Wizz Air has contacted Israel’s Ministry of Transport seeking to reopen talks on setting up a hub at Ben Gurion airport. The talks on the issue had broken down a month and a half ago. However, it remains uncertain whether the door remains open as the Ministry of Transport explores options with other Israeli airlines for an Israel hub.
Several months ago, significant steps were taken towards establishing the base. Among other things, the state authorized Wizz Air to base aircraft in Israel, a move that provides an important operational advantage and allows it to operate similarly to Israeli companies during peak hours. However, the Ministry of Transport then decided to pull out of the negotiations, because the Hungarian low cost airline had not resumed flights to Israel immediately after the Iran war. According to sources in the ministry, Wizz Air’s attitude had changed after the entry of the new government in Hungary. Now Wizz Air is seeking to return to the table.
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The move to bring Wizz Air to establish an operational hub in Israel was met with widespread opposition from Israeli airlines. The opposition from the industry’s workers’ committees was based on the implications of such a hub for competition and jobs. The workers committees even threatened to shut down Ben Gurion Airport shortly before the outbreak of the war with Iran.
The workers’ committees in the aviation industry have major public clout, especially in the run up to elections. This may influence the environment in which decisions are made, and in particular the considerations of Minister of Transport Miri Regev.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on June 29, 2026.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2026.
Wizz Air credit: Shutterstock
