Ben-Gurion Airport Records 90,000-Passenger Net Inflow Ahead of Knesset Election

Ben-Gurion Airport data reveals that approximately 90,000 more passengers arrived in Israel than departed between October 17 and October 27, 2026, a net inflow that exceeds the gap recorded during the same period in 2025 by 13,000 people.

Channel 13 reported the figures on Sunday, noting that this shift coincides with the October 27 Knesset election. The airline operator recorded roughly 245,000 departures during the eleven-day window. This number is lower than the 270,000 departures recorded in the corresponding period of 2025 and significantly below the 323,000 recorded in 2022, the year of Israel’s last general election.

The decline in outbound traffic occurred despite an increase in available aircraft and flights compared to previous years. The channel attributed the drop to citizens postponing vacations and business trips to ensure they are in the country to cast ballots.

Arrival traffic presented a contrasting trend. Incoming passengers largely utilized existing aviation infrastructure rather than dedicated special flights, yet the total volume of entrants surpassed departures by a wide margin. The gap between arrivals and departures was approximately 77,000 in 2025 and widened to over 90,000 in 2026.

Channel 13 estimated that if all 90,000 additional entrants were eligible voters who cast valid ballots, the difference would equate to roughly two Knesset seats. Israel’s electoral threshold is 3.25% of valid votes, meaning small shifts in turnout can determine which parties cross the line for representation in the 120-seat legislature.

The passenger counts include children and foreign nationals who are not eligible to vote, so the figures do not provide a precise count of voters. However, the data aligns with a recent survey by the AID Coalition’s Fly&Vote initiative, which estimated that 67,000 Israelis living abroad intended to travel home to vote. That estimate was based on registration data and a voluntary survey, not confirmed arrivals.

Most Israeli citizens residing abroad cannot vote remotely and must return to the country to participate in the election. The Fly&Vote group, which assists overseas citizens with the process, faced restrictions on its activities after legal proceedings initiated by the Likud party. Demand for travel was evident as early as August, when organizers arranged dedicated flights from New York and Lisbon to meet the needs of overseas voters.

Alon Ben-Gurion, grandson of the country’s first prime minister, is among those who traveled to vote. He arrived from the United States with his family and proceeded to Tiberias to cast his ballot, according to Channel 13. His trip illustrates the logistics some overseas residents are undertaking to secure their place in the election.