Landing at Ben Gurion on Shabbat or a Jewish holiday
Updated
Checked on 21 October 2026 against the Israel Airports Authority, the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality and the Hebcal Jewish calendar.
Planes land at Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) on Shabbat as on other days, but trains and most buses stop from Friday until Saturday evening. Shabbat begins at sunset on Friday and ends after nightfall on Saturday, so the clock times move with the seasons. Bazman Taxi keeps Shabbat. We drive 24 hours a day from Sunday to Friday, stop when Shabbat begins and set out again once it ends, so book before Shabbat with your flight number.
What runs at the airport during Shabbat
From candle lighting on Friday until nightfall on Saturday. The festival days in the holiday table below follow the same pattern.
| Service | During Shabbat | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | Airlines land and depart, and the terminal stays open | The Airports Authority’s data listed about 90 arrivals between Friday candle lighting and the end of Shabbat on 23–24 October 2026 |
| Train from Terminal 3 | Does not run | The last trains leave on Friday afternoon and service resumes on Saturday evening; check the first train for your date |
| Bus 445 to Tel Aviv and most other lines | Do not run | Most public transport in Israel stops for Shabbat |
| Bank exchange counter in the greeters’ hall | Works according to the landing schedule | ATMs stand on level G of the same hall and in the baggage hall between belts 6 and 7 |
| Synagogues in Terminal 3 | Open 24 hours a day | One on level 1 in the eastern gallery, one in the departures duty-free hall |
| Our taxis | Do not drive, and dispatch is closed | A ride booked in advance sets out when Shabbat is over |
When Shabbat begins and ends
Shabbat begins on Friday shortly before sunset, when candles are lit, and ends on Saturday at nightfall, once three stars can be seen. Both moments follow the sun, so the clock time shifts through the year. In Tel Aviv, candle lighting falls at about 16:15 in early December and about 19:30 in early July, and Shabbat ends at about 17:15 in December and about 20:30 in July.
The card above shows this week’s Tel Aviv times. By local custom Jerusalem lights candles earlier than Tel Aviv (in early December at about 15:55 rather than 16:15), so if you are staying there, Shabbat starts sooner for you. Our guide from Ben Gurion to Jerusalem compares the train, the bus and a taxi around Shabbat.
If your plane lands during Shabbat
From Friday evening until Saturday nightfall there is no train out of the airport and our taxis do not drive, so the ride home has to be arranged before you fly. These are the steps, from booking to meeting the driver.
- Book before Shabbat begins
Send the flight number and your destination address before Shabbat comes in on Friday, on WhatsApp, by phone or with the online booking form. Our dispatch is closed during Shabbat, so a message sent on Saturday is read only after it ends.
- Look up the end time for your date
The pickup is planned from the time Shabbat ends that week. The card above gives it for Tel Aviv.
- Go through the airport as usual
Border control, baggage claim and customs work on Shabbat. Our Terminal 3 arrival guide walks through each step.
- Wait inside the terminal
The greeters’ hall on level G has the bank exchange counter and ATMs, and one of the two synagogues is on level 1, in the eastern gallery. Keep your phone charged and WhatsApp working.
- Meet the driver
When Shabbat is over, the driver sets out and contacts you by phone or WhatsApp to agree where you meet.
Landing on a Friday
A Friday landing works when the whole ride, from the terminal to your door, ends before Shabbat begins in the city you are heading to, and in Jerusalem that is earlier than on the coast. Border control and baggage claim come first, so leave a margin. Send us the landing time when you book and we tell you whether the ride fits before Shabbat.
The driver follows the flight’s real landing time, so a delay moves the pickup with it. If the delay leaves too little time for the ride to end before Shabbat, we let you know, and you can book the pickup for Saturday night instead. Flying out on a Friday works the same way in reverse; see taxis before and after Shabbat.
Jewish holidays in 2027 that work like Shabbat
On these festival days trains stop, most buses stop and our station is closed, from sunset on the first date until nightfall on the last. In Israel most festivals last one day. The intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot are ordinary working days for us.
| Holiday | Begins at sunset on | Ends after nightfall on |
|---|---|---|
| Passover, first day | Wednesday 21 April | Thursday 22 April |
| Passover, seventh day | Tuesday 27 April | Wednesday 28 April |
| Shavuot | Thursday 10 June | Saturday 12 June, running straight into Shabbat |
| Rosh Hashanah | Friday 1 October | Sunday 3 October; the first day falls on Shabbat |
| Yom Kippur | Sunday 10 October | Monday 11 October; in 2026 the airport stopped flights too |
| Sukkot, first day | Friday 15 October | Saturday 16 October, together with Shabbat |
| Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah | Friday 22 October | Saturday 23 October, together with Shabbat |
Sources, checked on 21 October 2026
- Shabbat and holiday times
Hebcal: Shabbat times for Tel Aviv (opens in a new tab) and Hebcal: Jewish holidays 2027, Israel schedule (opens in a new tab)
- Train and bus 445 on Shabbat
Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality: getting from the airport (opens in a new tab)
- Synagogues, exchange counter and ATMs in Terminal 3
Israel Airports Authority: Terminal 3 services, in Hebrew (opens in a new tab)
- Arrivals during Shabbat
Israel Airports Authority flight data, raw data on the national data portal (opens in a new tab)
- Yom Kippur 2026 at the airport
Xinhua via The Star: Israel shuts down for Yom Kippur (opens in a new tab)
Questions and answers
Do planes land at Ben Gurion on Shabbat?
Yes. Airlines land and depart on Shabbat and the terminal stays open. The exception is Yom Kippur, when in 2026 the airport halted flights from the early afternoon of the eve until after the fast.
What time does Shabbat end in Tel Aviv?
It changes every week, from about 17:15 in early December to about 20:30 in early July. The card on this page shows the time for the coming Saturday.
Do trains leave the airport on Saturday night?
Yes, service resumes on Saturday evening after Shabbat ends. The first departure moves with the season, so look it up in the Israel Railways timetable for your date before you fly.
Do intercity buses run on Shabbat?
Most do not. Like most public transport in Israel, intercity buses stop for Shabbat and start again on Saturday evening after it ends. Check the line for your date in the national route planner (opens in a new tab).
Is there somewhere to pray at the airport during Shabbat?
Yes. Terminal 3 has two synagogues, one on level 1 in the eastern gallery and one in the departures duty-free hall, and the Airports Authority lists both as open 24 hours a day.
My Friday flight is running late. What happens to my ride?
The driver follows the real landing time. If the delay leaves too little time for the ride to end before Shabbat, we tell you, and you can book the pickup for Saturday night instead.
Which dates in 2027 should I check before I book a flight?
Every Friday evening and Saturday, plus the festival days in the table above. Three of them, Rosh Hashanah, the first day of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, begin on a Friday evening in 2027, and Shavuot runs straight into Shabbat.
Book on WhatsApp or by phone
Send us where from, where to and when on WhatsApp, and the taxi will be there on time.