TEL AVIV (VINnews) – Israel’s national carrier EL AL will start operating outbound passenger flights from Ben Gurion Airport beginning Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 8:00 a.m., following an announcement by authorities expanding the operational framework at the airport.

The move comes as part of a gradual reopening of Israeli airspace for departures, after a period of closure and limited inbound repatriation flights due to security concerns.

Under the state-approved guidelines, outbound flights will initially be restricted to a maximum of 70 passengers per flight.

EL AL said it will prioritize non-resident passengers currently in Israel whose return flights home were canceled due to the disruptions. The airline will proactively contact these individuals and reassign them at no additional cost to one of its recovery flights departing to 22 international destinations.

Assignments will follow the original scheduled flight dates, mirroring the process used for inbound recovery operations bringing stranded Israelis home.

Regular ticket sales for outbound flights will remain closed until this reassignment process is complete.

The company also plans to launch a dedicated online form for exceptional humanitarian or medical cases seeking approval to depart under the framework’s exceptions mechanism.

EL AL emphasized that it will continue adhering to all directives from Israeli security and aviation authorities, with ongoing updates provided to customers via its website at elal.com and social media channels.

The phased resumption follows the recent restart of inbound repatriation flights at Ben Gurion, which have brought thousands of Israelis back from abroad after airspace restrictions tied to regional conflict. Outbound operations remain tightly controlled, with limits on passenger numbers and flight frequency, subject to real-time security assessments.