The Hungarian airline Wizz Air started operating low-cost regular flights from Budapest to Tel Aviv this month.

The maiden flight took off on Dec. 6 from Budapest with 175 passengers, Wizz Air said in a statement. Fares are available from $70 and can be booked online.

Noaz Bar, director general of Israel’s Ministry of Tourism, said he was confident the new service, which is starting with four flights a week, would increase the number of tourists visiting Israel.

According to Chabad Budapest, thousands of Israeli tourists visit Hungary every year. The city has a community of approximately 1,000 Israeli expats and businessmen who divide their time between the two countries. — jta