The low-cost airline Wizz Air will no longer offer the southern Israeli destination of Eilat in the 2023/24 winter flight schedule from Vienna-Schwechat. The carrier has already removed this route from sale and confirmed its discontinuation to Aviation.Direct.

A few years ago, Wizz Air added non-stop flights to Eilat to Vienna's winter timetable. At the beginning, we headed for the Ovda military airport, which was also used for civilian purposes at the time, because non-stop flights to Eilat-Hozman would not have been possible for various reasons. After the opening of Eilat-Ramon Airport, the airport was switched to this one.

The corona pandemic meant that Wizz Air was only able to reactivate flights to Eilat in the 2022/23 winter flight schedule. These were launched at extremely short notice, but this was primarily because entry and quarantine regulations changed frequently throughout the pandemic period and Israel in particular had very strict regulations over a longer period of time. At times, tourists were not allowed to enter at all.

In winter 2023/24, people who want to spend their vacation in Eilat will search in vain for non-stop flights from Vienna. These are no longer offered by Wizz Air, a spokeswoman confirmed to Aviation.Direct. An alternative in this region is not available from Vienna with the pink low-coster. However, its competitor Ryanair offers flights to Aqaba. The airport is directly opposite Eilat-Hozman as the crow flies, but on the Jordanian side.

Passengers heading to Eilat and landing in Aqaba should note that Jordan requires a paid visa for most European citizens. This can be applied for and paid for online in advance or issued upon arrival. Furthermore, border crossings from Jordan to Israel and back are subject to a fee. Both countries have to pay horrendous fees for entry and exit.

A Wizz Air company spokeswoman told Aviation.Direct about the discontinuation of the Eilat flights from Vienna: “Wizz Air continuously monitors the performance and demand for its routes in order to continue to offer the lowest prices for the most popular destinations. The airline's route network and flight schedule have been optimized according to current demand, therefore Eilat is not operated during the winter season. Wizz Air remains loyal to its Vienna base and Austrian passengers and is also opening new routes depending on customer demand.”