airBaltic and EL AL Launch Codeshare: What Changes for Flights Between Israel, the Baltics, and Europe

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Marta Skylar
Aviation News Editor
28.07.2026 06:13

airBaltic and EL AL Launch Codeshare: What Changes for Flights Between Israel, the Baltics, and Europe

Latvian airBaltic and Israeli EL AL have announced a new codeshare agreement that is set to take effect on July 1, 2026. For tourists and business passengers, this means more flight options between Israel, the Baltic countries, and a number of European cities via Riga or Tel Aviv, but planning such routes should still be done with a careful check of the schedule, transfer rules, and current security recommendations.

The news is important not only as another partnership between two airlines. It comes at a time when demand for travel between Israel and Northern Europe is gradually returning, and airlines are cautiously restoring routes that have depended on the security situation, regulatory recommendations, and insurance restrictions over recent seasons. airBaltic has already announced its intention to resume direct flights between Riga and Tel Aviv from July 1, 2026, with three frequencies per week. The codeshare with EL AL makes this launch not an isolated route, but part of a wider network of connections.

Under the terms of the agreement, EL AL will place its LY code on airBaltic flights between Riga and Tel Aviv. This applies to passengers flying directly between the two cities, as well as those using Riga as a transfer point. Additionally, the EL AL code is expected to appear on airBaltic flights from Riga to Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Munich, Oslo, Stockholm, Tallinn, Vienna, Vilnius, and Zurich for passengers traveling to or from Tel Aviv via Riga.

In the opposite direction, airBaltic will place its BT code on selected EL AL flights from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam, Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt, Milan, Berlin, and Zurich. This opens up another routing option for passengers from the Baltics: flying from Riga to Tel Aviv and then continuing their journey on EL AL flights within its European network. For the tourism market, this is particularly noticeable in the segment of family, cultural, religious, and short city trips, where passengers often choose convenient connections and clear single-booking rules rather than the lowest price.

What is Codeshare and Why is it Noticeable for Passengers

A codeshare agreement does not mean that both airlines begin to operate all of each other's flights. The actual carrier remains the company whose aircraft and crew operate the specific segment. However, a flight can be sold under a partner's code, and a passenger often sees it in search as part of a single route. In a practical sense, this can simplify booking, make combined tickets available, facilitate transfers, and, depending on the fare and booking system, allow baggage to be checked through to the final destination.

For tourists, this is important for three reasons. First, more routing combinations appear in search engines and on airline websites that previously might have required separate tickets. Second, transfers via Riga become clearer for passengers flying between Israel and the Baltics, Scandinavia, or Central Europe. Third, codeshare gives airlines the room to react more quickly to demand without immediately opening dozens of their own direct flights.

At the same time, codeshare does not cancel the basic rules of careful planning. Before paying for a ticket, a passenger needs to check who the operating carrier is—the actual carrier—which baggage rules apply to each segment, whether there is an overnight transfer, whether a terminal change is required, and what refund or rebooking conditions apply specifically to the chosen fare. This is especially relevant for routes passing through a region with increased sensitivity to security and aviation restrictions.

Why Riga is Becoming an Important Hub for This Route

Riga has long been the main hub for airBaltic and a convenient transfer point for passengers from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, and parts of Northern Europe. For trips to Israel, this has practical value: not every city in the Baltics or Scandinavia has a stable direct flight to Tel Aviv, and a transfer in a large Western European hub is not always the shortest in terms of time. If the schedule is convenient, Riga can become a compact alternative to larger airports for passengers seeking a simpler route.

For Ukrainian readers, this news also has practical significance. Some travelers plan trips to Israel or through Israel departing from neighboring EU countries, including through the Baltics, Poland, Germany, or Austria. The airBaltic and EL AL codeshare does not create a direct solution for all such routes, but it increases the number of combinations that can be compared during ticket searches. If a route begins or ends in Riga, it is worth checking the Riga Airport (RIX) page and the current RIX online board in advance, especially when the transfer is short or the trip is tied to a specific date.

On the Israeli side, the key point remains Ben Gurion International Airport. It is through here that the main flow of international flights to Tel Aviv and then to Jerusalem, the Mediterranean coast, and other tourist destinations in the country passes. Before departure or meeting passengers, it is useful to check the Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) page and the TLV online board, as for this direction, flight status can be more important than the usual schedule in the booking.

Which Cities Get More Connection Options

The most noticeable effect of the agreement is the expansion of the map of convenient connections. Via Riga, EL AL passengers will be able to see airBaltic routes to a number of cities in Northern and Central Europe for sale. Among them are Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm, Tallinn, and Vilnius—directions that are logically linked to Baltic and Scandinavian demand. This list also includes Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, and Zurich—cities with strong business, transit, and tourist flows.

For airBaltic passengers, another block will be important: EL AL opens flights from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam, Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt, Milan, Berlin, and Zurich under the BT code. In some routes, this may be useful not so much for a classic holiday in Israel, but for more complex trips where Tel Aviv becomes an intermediate point or where a passenger wants to assemble a route in one booking with clearer airline responsibility for connections.

However, tourists should not view the new codeshare as a guarantee of lower prices. The partnership increases choice, but the cost will depend on the season, demand, booking class, baggage, transfer time, and the policy of the specific carrier. On popular dates, during holidays, summer vacations, or school breaks, the most convenient connections may increase in price faster than less comfortable options with longer waiting times.

Security Context: Why You Need to Check More Than Just the Price

Routes to Israel in 2026 remain sensitive to aviation security assessments, regulatory recommendations, insurance conditions, and operational decisions by airlines. In reports about the resumption of flights, airBaltic specifically emphasized that the return to the Riga - Tel Aviv line should take place taking into account the recommendations of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the requirements of insurers. This means that even after sales open, passengers should maintain a margin of flexibility.

Practical advice is simple: before the trip, check not only the ticket but also the latest airline messages, flight status, insurance conditions, and official travel advice for the destination country. If the route includes an important transfer, cruise, medical appointment, tour, or event with a fixed time, it is better to avoid minimum connections and have a plan in case of flight rescheduling. For family trips with children or elderly relatives, it is important to think in advance about where to stay overnight in case of a schedule change: near RIX, hotels near Riga Airport are available, and near TLV, hotels near Ben Gurion Airport.

Special attention should be paid to baggage. If the ticket is issued as a single route within the codeshare, baggage can often be checked through to the final destination, but this depends on the specific booking, fare, and technical interaction between carriers. If a passenger buys separate tickets, even on flights of the same airlines, the risks increase: if the first segment is delayed, the second carrier may not consider it a protected connection. That is why before payment, it is worth checking whether the route is issued as one ticket or if it is actually a self-transfer.

What This Means for Tourism and the Aviation Market

For Israel, the partnership with airBaltic can support the gradual return of European tourist flows, especially from the Baltics and Northern Europe. This is not an instant breakthrough, but an important signal: airlines are seeking a cautious format for restoring presence, which allows them to offer more destinations without excessive operational risk. For Riga, this is a chance to strengthen the airport's role as a transit point between Northern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

For EL AL, the codeshare helps expand the European offering without launching its own flights to every city in the Baltics or Scandinavia. For airBaltic, the partnership with the Israeli carrier adds visibility in a market where not only tourist trips, but also family ties, business, religious routes, and cultural contacts are important. Such flows often maintain demand even when classic mass tourism recovers more slowly.

At the same time, passengers should remember: the new agreement does not cancel possible schedule changes. If the situation in the region worsens or regulatory recommendations change, airlines may adjust frequencies, postpone the launch, or temporarily change operational plans. Therefore, the best strategy for a traveler is to book flexible fares where justified, check the carrier's messages, and not build a critically important route on a single short connection.

What to Check Before Booking

  • whether a specific segment is operated by airBaltic or EL AL, and not just sold under its code;
  • whether the route is issued as one ticket, especially if there is a transfer via Riga or Tel Aviv;
  • what baggage, carry-on, catering, and seat selection rules apply to each segment;
  • whether the transfer time is sufficient, taking into account passport control, security procedures, and possible delays;
  • whether insurance covers the destination country and possible flight changes;
  • what official travel recommendations for trips to Israel or transit through it are current on the date of departure.

For some passengers, the new codeshare will become a convenient way to return routes between Israel and the Baltics to their planning, which previously seemed complex or required separate tickets. For others, it will be just one of the options alongside transfers via Frankfurt, Vienna, Amsterdam, Warsaw, or Istanbul. In any case, the appearance of the airBaltic and EL AL partnership makes the market more flexible and adds competition on routes where schedule stability and trust in the carrier have almost the same importance as price.

Conclusion

The airBaltic and EL AL codeshare from July 1, 2026, is significant news for travelers planning trips between Israel, the Baltics, Scandinavia, and Central Europe. The main practical effect is a greater number of routes in a single booking, better visibility of connections via Riga, and a wider choice for passengers from Tel Aviv. But due to the sensitive security context of the direction, the smartest approach remains cautious: check flight status, ticket conditions, baggage, and insurance and official travel advice immediately before departure.