Over the last ten days, some 25,000 stranded Israelis returned to the country via land border crossings with Egypt and Jordan, while 31,000 people left Israel via the crossings, according to the Israeli Ministry of Interior.
The first repatriation flight carrying Israelis stranded abroad during the war with Iran landed Thursday at Ben-Gurion Airport after days of closed airspace.
Domestic tourism also continued to be a stabilizing force, with more than 13 million overnight stays by Israelis recorded in hotels nationwide by the end of the third quarter.
Greece remained the most popular international destination, welcoming 2.2 million Israeli travelers, followed by the United States with 1.6 million and the United Arab Emirates with 1.5 million.
The initiative follows nearly two years of high fares during the Gaza war, when Israeli airlines made record profits and were accused of price gouging as international competitors repeatedly suspended service to the Jewish state.
According to an outline approved by security and transportation officials, only 50 passengers will be allowed on each departing plane due to ongoing security concerns.
While land crossings with Egypt and Jordan remain open, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) has issued a Level 4 travel warning for those countries.