Ryanair reveals 960 flights axed in November due to Gaza conflict

Low-cost airline Ryanair has said more than 960 flights were cancelled last month due to the war between Israel and Hamas.

It comes after the Irish carrier cancelled over 870 flights in October as a result of the conflict in Gaza.

Airlines have suspended flights to Tel Aviv and neighbouring Jordan after Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel on October 7 and due to the subsequent escalation of the war.

Rival easyJet said last week that conflict and the threat to stability across the Middle East has also affected demand for flights in destinations such as Egypt, while it saw bookings impacted across the board in October and November due to the war.

EasyJet warned that it does not expect to narrow losses in the first quarter of its new financial year as flights and wider demand are affected, but it said booking appetite had started to recover in recent weeks.

Ryanair’s latest passenger statistics showed it operated over 66,400 flights in November, with a 4% increase in people flown, at 11.7 million, despite the cancellations.

London-listed Hungarian airline Wizz Air said on Monday that it has decided to suspend operations in Israel until early January next year.

The budget airline said it “continues to monitor the situation on the ground closely, and stands ready to redeploy capacity should conditions stabilise”. ​

It carried 29.3% more passengers in November, at 4.8 million.

Wizz Air said it had also restarted inbound flights to Chisinau, Moldova, in Eastern Europe having suspended flights to the country in March due to tensions linked to Russia’s war with Ukraine.

It said the move follows a “comprehensive evaluation of safety factors”, adding that the group “intends to gradually reintroduce operations, including reopening its base in Chisinau, while ensuring safe and secure operations for its crew and passengers”.