Ben Gurion Airport in Israel is cautiously reopening for international travel after a sudden shutdown of the country’s airspace earlier this month. Beginning June 23, 2025, the airport will resume receiving and dispatching international flights—though under strict limitations.

According to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, the airport’s reopening is an important step toward restoring global travel connections. However, the new operations are being carried out with heavy restrictions: each outgoing or incoming flight is allowed to register no more than 50 passengers, and no more than 1,500 passengers can be inside Terminal 3 at any one time.

The initial schedule includes about 24 international flights operated by Israel’s leading airlines—El Al, Israir, and Arkia—heading to destinations like Athens, Bangkok, Warsaw, Larnaca, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Barcelona, and Rome. Coordination for these operations involves the Israel Airports Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel, and national security officials.

Flights were halted abruptly on June 13, after Israel closed its airspace during military operations targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile sites. The closure stranded an estimated 40,000 foreign tourists in Israel, who had no option to leave the country except through land borders with Egypt and Jordan or by sea.

In response to the crisis, the Israeli government authorized evacuation flights starting June 18. Leading Israeli airlines received clearance to fly citizens back home from selected international destinations. However, these evacuation flights were briefly suspended again on June 22 after U.S. strikes on Iran prompted renewed security concerns. Later that day, some flights resumed.

Tourists still in Israel are being reminded by the Ministry of Tourism that evacuation flight registration remains open and available.