Ryanair is set to relaunch its flights to Israel in early June. The Irish low-cost airline will be offering five flights a week from Budapest to Tel Aviv. According to Ryanair’s announcement, starting from the beginning of June, a total of 40 flights per week will operate to Israel from several European bases including Athens, Bari, Berlin, Budapest, Malta, Milan, and Paphos, as reported by AIRportal.hu.
Ryanair, along with several other airlines, suspended its flights to Israel following the Hamas terrorist attack last October and the subsequent Israeli response.
In February, the company resumed some flights to Tel Aviv. However, due to the closure of the low-cost Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion airport, it could only operate from Terminal 3, which incurred higher costs. Despite Ryanair’s request for a temporary reduction in charges, the operator refused. Consequently, Ryanair suspended flights again after a few weeks, pending the reopening of Terminal 1 in June.
Ryanair’s decision follows that of Hungarian airline Wizz Air, which announced in January that it would operate three flights a week from Budapest to Tel Aviv on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays starting from 1 March. Additionally, from the spring, the low-cost carrier will expand its flights to Israel from Bucharest, Krakow, London-Luton, Rome-Fiumicino, and Sofia, in addition to Budapest.
Majority State Ownership of Ferenc Liszt Airport to Materialize Soon
With Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc airport experiencing increasing traffic and airlines announcing their return to Israel one after another, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated in parliament on Monday that the internationally renowned airport could revert to majority state ownership within days.
Confirming and elaborating on PM Orbán’s statement on Tuesday, Minister for National Economy Márton Nagy indicated that the state could purchase Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport in the near future. He also specified that
the state would acquire an 80 per cent stake in the airport.
‘The repurchase of the airport is a technical matter; “within days” could mean two weeks or a month. However, it will certainly happen in the near future,’ Márton Nagy told ATV. The minister affirmed earlier reports indicating the involvement of QIA, a Qatari investor, in the deal. Under the arrangement, the state will acquire an 80 per cent stake in the airport and subsequently sell 29 per cent to the Qatari investor. According to ATV, citing Márton Nagy, the purchase price will be more favourable than HUF 774 billion (USD 2.1 billion).
As reported by Hungarian Conservative, press reports regarding the purchase of the airport by the Hungarian state emerged last autumn. At that time, Bloomberg reported that the Hungarian government was seeking to acquire 51 per cent of Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport’s shares through a state-controlled investment company, with the possibility of another airport operator purchasing the remaining 49 per cent.
Previously, there were discussions of buying out the airport with the participation of Hungarian private investors and major corporations, but despite reportedly advanced negotiations, the transaction was postponed in 2021 citing unfavourable Hungarian and international financial conditions.
The airport was privatized by Ferenc Gyurcsány’s left-wing government in 2005 in a highly unfavourable deal, meaning that the strategically important facility could potentially return to state ownership after nearly 20 years.
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