Why Are Flights to Israel So Expensive Right Now?

By Beni Levin · August 3, 2026

A family that flew to Israel from New York eighteen months ago and is pricing the same trip today is in for a shock. August fares to New York on Israeli carriers have been running over $2,000 this year, nearly double the roughly $1,200 they cost about six months earlier. Athens routes sit around $600, and London or Paris now regularly exceed $800. None of that is random, and understanding why matters for deciding when to book.

Fewer Airlines Competing for the Same Seats

The simplest driver is supply. With British Airways, United, Delta, American, Ryanair, and easyJet all still absent or only partially back, Israeli carriers and the smaller list of international airlines that stayed are covering demand that used to be split across a much wider field of competitors. Less competition on a route almost always means higher fares, and that's exactly what's happening on nearly every route into Ben Gurion right now. Our current breakdown of which airlines are actually flying to Israel covers the full list of who's in and who's still out.

Jet Fuel and Oil Prices Spiked With the Conflict

The Iran war sent global oil prices climbing for stretches of 2026, and jet fuel costs rose with them. Airlines pass fuel costs through to fares quickly on routes with limited competition, and Middle East routes have absorbed more of that pass-through than most.

Demand Hasn't Actually Collapsed the Way You'd Expect

Counterintuitively, the routes that are still running are fairly full. Israeli diaspora travel, religious pilgrimage, and a committed base of return visitors have kept seats booked even through a year most tourists sat out. Airlines with limited capacity and steady demand have no real incentive to discount, which is part of why fares haven't followed the drop in overall visitor numbers the way you might expect.

Will Prices Come Down?

Probably, but not on a fixed timeline. Fares should ease as more foreign carriers resume service (several are targeting September and October return dates) and as fuel costs stabilize, but a fresh flare-up in the conflict could just as easily push prices back up before that happens. If your dates are flexible, midweek departures and booking as far ahead as your itinerary allows are the two levers that still work regardless of what the broader market does.

Weighing whether to book now against waiting is exactly the kind of trade-off worth a second opinion before you commit. Reach out to our team at Let Travel and we'll give you a current read on pricing trends for your specific route before you buy.