Israel’s flagship carrier El Al saw its profit double, as scant competition in Israel’s skies has translated into peak demand and high prices for travelers, with many foreign airlines reluctant to resume flight services to Tel Aviv amid concerns of escalation in the fighting between the US and Iran.

El Al raked in a net profit of $132 million in the April-June quarter, up from $66 million during the same period in 2025, despite reduced operations due to the US-Israel war with Iran, a rise in fuel prices and the negative impact of the sharp appreciation of the shekel. The airline’s revenue in the second quarter increased 27 percent to $986 ⁠million from $777 million a year earlier.

“We concluded the second quarter with strong results, despite having only two months of full operations due to Operation Roaring Lion,” said El Al CEO Levy Halevy. “During the quarter, we experienced strong demand for El Al flights, as reflected in record sales and forward bookings.”

​Local carriers, which are the only airlines reliably flying in and out of Israel in the near future, have been taking advantage of the fragile geopolitical situation and the cloudy horizon for air travel, allowing them to charge customers exorbitant sums. That includes flagship carrier El Al, which has been repeatedly accused of price gouging during wartime since October 7, 2023.

“The demand is so large that El Al and their competitors can charge outrageous prices that we have not seen ever,” Mark Feldman, CEO of Ziontours Jerusalem, told The Times of Israel. “The problem is that just finding seats is the main challenge, and once the average Israeli finds that available seat, he or she will pay almost any price.”

When the US-Israel war with Iran erupted on February 28, Israel initially closed........

© The Times of Israel