Wizz Air is pushing to establish an operational base for the Hungarian airline in Israel, which would invest $1 billion in the Israeli market and base 10 new aircraft in the country, the CEO Jozsef Varadi told Transportation Minister Miri Regev in a meeting with her on Thursday.

Regev and representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority met with the Wizz Air CEO on to discuss negotiation the terms of the deal.

Váradi told the transportation minister during their meeting that “In the next three years, we will add 4,000 jobs in Israel, and about 500 employees will be hired directly by Wizz.”

In accordance with the plan, Wizz Air showed interest in building 50 runways in addition to the 20 currently in use.

By implementing the planned expansion, the Hungarian airline aims to increase its annual passenger volume in Israel from 3 million to 7 million.

Váradi added, “Our plans for the Israeli market are to launch new routes, to add more seats,” KAN News reported. The CEO confirmed that the company's goal is to open the Ben-Gurion base in April of 2026, with a possible extension for Ramon Airport, in Eilat.

Miri Regev emphasized that she has the prime minister's full backing to advance this matter. "I don’t intend to blink for a second. We all want flight prices to go down,” according to KAN News.

As a condition for Wizz Air's establishment of services in Israel, the country requires the company to operate domestic flights to Eilat, international flights from Ramon Airport, and maintain service even during wartime, reported KAN News.

During the meeting, Regev, to encourage airlines to fly from the southern airport, offered Wizz almost a full exemption of operational fees.

This action encouraged Váradi to clarify that for Wizz Air, “the main interest is Ben-Gurion Airport,” but stressed that the company is “very open to operating at Ramon Airport,” adding: “There are almost two million citizens in the southern region who we want to bring into our aviation market,” reported KAN News.

A the same time the visit took place, senior figures in Israel’s aviation industry and the Histadrut criticized the plan.

Adv. Eyal Yadin, Chairman of the Transport and Seaports Workers Union in the Histadrut, sent a letter to Miri Regev on Thursday morning requesting that she halt the advancement of the agreement, Passport News reported.

The request was made to facilitate a further dialogue between the Transportation Ministry and worker representatives.

In an official letter, Yadin explained to Regev that offering an incentive to a foreign airline could jeopardize the stability of Israeli carriers and threaten thousands of jobs, Passport News reported.

“Workers in the aviation sector will not stand by while their livelihoods and their families’ future are thrown aside in a hasty and reckless move,” he wrote.