United Airlines has announced that it will begin the first-ever nonstop flight next year from Washington, D.C., to Tel Aviv.
The airline will begin flying from Dulles International Airport, which is located outside of Washington in suburban Virginia, to Tel Aviv three times a week beginning on May 22, 2019. United has offered service to Israel for 20 years, but this will be its first-ever nonstop flight between the U.S. capital and the State of Israel.
“As we begin celebrating 20 years of service in Israel, we want to thank our customers and employees who have helped make United the top U.S. airline serving Israel,” said Patrick Quayle, United Airline’s vice president for international planning, in a statement on Thursday.
“We thank the Israeli government for its ongoing support and partnership. We look forward to continuing to serve Israel with this new service for our customers traveling between the U.S. capital and one of the most advanced science and technology sectors in the world,” he said.
The initiative to bring a direct flight between Washington and Tel Aviv was a grassroots effort led by the Israeli-American Council and the JCRC of Greater Washington, which mobilized more than 5,000 community members to demonstrate local demand for the nonstop service to the entire D.C., Maryland and Virginia region. The IAC and JCRC partnered with the Maryland/Israel Development Center, the Baltimore Jewish Council, the Virginia Israel Advisory Board and the Maryland-Israel Sister State Committee.
“We are proud to have led a broad coalition of business and community groups that succeeded in advocating for a direct flight between Washington, D.C., and Tel Aviv. The IAC commends United Airlines for the leadership and foresight that they have shown in adding this route,” said the organization’s CEO Shoham Nicolet. “This development demonstrates how Israeli-Americans are uniquely positioned to serve as a living bridge that strengthens ties between people in the U.S. and Israel.”
