The first group of Palestinian passengers departed for Cyprus on Monday on an Arkia flight taking off from Ramon Airport near Eilat. The passengers arrived at the airport in special shuttles and went through regular security checks.
Eilat Mayor, Eli Lankri, who previously opposed the initiative on security grounds, said, he was happy with the result and that he was satisfied with the security arrangements.
Most of the passengers were doctors, pharmacists, and their spouses from Hebron and Bethlehem on their way to Larnaca for both vacation and business purposes.
Special flights for Palestinians to Turkey, which were also scheduled, have been postponed but will include destinations in Antalya and Istanbul, operated by Turkey's Southwings and Pegasus Airlines.
At present, only PA officials with VIP cards, and businesspeople with a special pass can fly through Ben Gurion Airport—Israel's international gateway.
According to Palestinian sources, the PA's Ministry of Transportation is threatening punitive measures against Palestinians who use Ramon Airport, such as restricting returning passengers from renewing their Palestinian passports. One Palestinian government official, quoted on Al-Monitor said that Israel's intent is to revitalize an airport that has hardly been used by Israelis since its opening in 2019. He further called on Israel to instead enable travel through the North Jerusalem Qalandia Airport—closed since 2000.