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American Airlines returning to Israel in March

The carrier will offer daily non-stop service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

An American Airlines passenger plane parked at a gate at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Aug. 24, 2025. Photo by Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images.
An American Airlines passenger plane parked at a gate at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Aug. 24, 2025. Photo by Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images.

American Airlines announced Friday that it will resume flying to Israel in March, becoming the last U.S. legacy giant to renew service to Tel Aviv after this month’s ceasefire in Gaza.

The Dallas-based carrier suspended flights to Israel right after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that triggered the war, and stayed away entirely over the last two years, unlike rivals United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

American will offer daily non-stop service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport starting on March 28, and return service to New York from March 31.

The lucrative New York-Tel Aviv route was long the top international route out of Israel, and is consistently in high demand.

The move highlights the resurgence of Israel’s aviation and tourist sectors after the war.

Etgar Lefkovits, an award-winning international journalist, is an Israel correspondent and a feature news writer for JNS. A native of Chicago, he has two decades of experience in journalism, having served as Jerusalem correspondent in one of the world’s most demanding positions. He is currently based in Tel Aviv.
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