 Hello and welcome back to my YouTube channel, this is Daniel Rossell and this YouTube channel covers lots of things to do with living in Israel. These days, Israel's main international airport, Ben-Gurionier Tel Aviv, handles an excess of 20 million passengers per year. It's regularly rated to be one of the best airports in the Middle East and is renowned for its tight security. Traditionally, Israel has been a somewhat expensive destination in terms of flight connections. For a long time, Israel's flag carrier, El Al, enjoyed significant price protection on flights to and from destinations of significance to Jews and Israelis around the world. Think medium to long-haul destinations ex-Israel such as London, New York and the Far East, or in other words places where there were significant Jewish communities coming and going to Israel, or where Israeli business people might need to go on business. For leisure destinations, the market was dominated by El Al and legacy carriers, so airfares to and from Europe were relatively high. Things changed dramatically for the better in June 2020 when the European Parliament ratified the Open Skies Agreement with Israel, which Israel approved seven years earlier in 2013. The vote in the European Parliament was passed with a large majority, 437 in favour, 102 against and 147 abstentions. El Al lobbied against the move because the agreement directly threatened their financial interests. Some European political factions expressed concern about the agreement in light of their opposition to Israeli government policies and pushed for a delay. Fortunately, the Israeli government went with the greater public interest and Europe eventually also gave the agreement its green light. The Open Skies Agreement that Israel exceeded to enables all European airlines to operate direct flights to and from Israel to anywhere in the European Union. In reciprocation, Israeli carriers such as El Al and Arkea were allowed to operate flights anywhere to and from an EU destination. By guaranteeing this mutual right of access, Israel and the EU ensured that the bureaucracy required in establishing a new route would be far lessened. This made it much more attractive for ultra-low-cost carriers like Reiner, Wizzair and Easyjet to begin operating flights between Israel and Europe. As a result of the Open Skies Agreement, a vibrant market has opened up for flights between Israel and Europe. Given the high cost of accommodation and the high cost of living in Israel, it's actually becoming increasingly popular for Israelis to holiday in nearby European destinations rather than in Israel itself. Israel's location on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean also makes it a great place for exploring southern and eastern Europe. Cyprus is only a 30 minute flight away and Talia on the southern coast of Turkey can be reached in only 45 minutes flying time and Greece and Italy are only an hour or two further away. As a result, the list of airlines flying to and from Ben-Gurion is now a lot more diverse than it was only a few short years ago. Etihad and low-cost carrier Flight Dubai compete with one another on flights to and from Dubai, the product of the Abraham Agreement. Reiner operates flights between Ben-Gurion and destinations like Budapest, Brussels, Paphos, Cracow and Malta. Easyjet operates a frequent service to and from London's Luton Airport and Hungarian low-cost operator Wizz flies from Ben-Gurion to Warsaw, the Greek island of Santorini, Budapest and many other destinations. The Open Skies Agreement remains a powerful testament to the idea that foreign competition can provide a quality of life upgrade for many Israelis. It has also made Israel a much more affordable travel destination for plenty of curious Europeans. Thanks for watching, I hope this video has been informative, and please subscribe if you'd like to receive more.