Wizz Air signaled Thursday that it is prepared to move aggressively into the Israeli aviation market as early as March or April, setting the stage for a political and regulatory fight that could reshape — and sharply lower — the cost of air travel for Israeli consumers.

After meeting with Transportation Minister Miri Regev in Tel Aviv, Wizz Air CEO József Váradi said the Hungarian low-cost carrier is “fully committed” to establishing an operational base in Israel, calling the move a billion-dollar investment that would double the airline’s current footprint in the country.

“We want to be seen as a good corporate citizen embedded in Israeli society,” Váradi said, framing Wizz’s expansion as a direct antidote to chronically high fares and limited seat availability. The plan, under discussion for months, would allow Wizz to station aircraft in Israel and scale up service across Europe, a step Regev argues is essential to increasing competition after two years of instability in the aviation market.

The meeting, which both sides described as productive, ended with a joint pledge to resolve outstanding regulatory and technical disputes by the end of January. Issues on the table include airport slot allocation, ground operations, and whether Israel will grant Wizz Air “seventh freedom” rights — allowing the carrier to fly from Israel to non-EU countries without returning to its home base.

“There is real commitment on both sides to try to make things work,” Váradi told The Times of Israel. But he acknowledged the hurdles remaining, including fierce resistance from Israeli airlines.

El Al, Arkia, and Israir have warned that allowing Wizz to base operations inside the country would undercut local carriers and threaten Israel’s aviation resilience during wartime. Industry lobbyists have pressed lawmakers to slow the process, arguing that foreign carriers can exit the market during crises while Israeli airlines cannot.

Regev, who has clashed repeatedly with Israeli carriers over sky-high fares, pushed back.

“It is not a secret that [local airlines] took advantage of the supply shortage to extort prices in the most difficult times,” she said, referring to the period when many foreign airlines suspended service during the Gaza war. “This is an unacceptable reality.”

Travel experts say that if Wizz Air secures approval and chooses Ben Gurion Airport as its base, the result could be a dramatic price drop on European routes.

“This marks a breakthrough that will undoubtedly lead to a reduction in flight prices,” said Shirley Cohen Orkaby, vice president at Eshet Tours. But the extent of the drop, she said, depends on how many planes Wizz stations in Israel and whether it receives expanded operating rights.

Wizz currently flies 21 routes to and from Israel; Váradi said the airline could scale to roughly 50 routes within a few years and add 4 million seats above current projections.

The move comes as major low-cost competitors — including Ryanair and easyJet — have extended their suspension of Israel service well into 2026, citing instability and financial risk after repeated cancellations during the two-year conflict with Hamas. Their absence has left a gaping hole in the low-cost market.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)