United Airlines plans to resume direct flights to Israel from the United States next month, becoming the first American carrier to renew service since the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Wednesday’s announcement came four months after the three major U.S. legacy carriers—American, United and Delta—all suspended flights to Israel in the wake of the Hamas massacre that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli flagship carrier El Al was the only airline to maintain service to the United States throughout the war.
The Chicago-based United, which previously flew the most flights to Israel of any American carrier, said it will resume daily nonstop service from Newark, N.J., to Tel Aviv starting on March 6. It says it does not plan to restart flights from additional U.S. cities until at least the fall.
Before the war, United flew to Israel from Newark, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
The airline says it decided to restart flights after conducting a “detailed safety analysis” and working with security experts and government officials in the United States and Israel.
Meanwhile, Delta Airlines will resume service to Israel on May 1, according to the Israel Airports Authority. The Atlanta-based carrier, which did not comment on the news, had canceled flights to Israel through April 30. Dallas-based American Airlines had halted flights on its lone route from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport until Oct. 28.
U.S. lawmakers and Israeli government officials had urged the American carriers to resume the flights to Israel “as soon as possible.”
The United States topped the list of tourists to Israel last year.
Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), Austrian Airlines and Air France are among the other airlines that have resumed flights to Ben-Gurion International Airport.
El Al has won national and international plaudits for its continuing wartime service, as well as its recent offer of free flights to European destinations for IDF soldiers. However, with the limited service across the Atlantic, the price of round-trip economy airfare between Israel and America skyrocketed to more than $1,500 this winter, almost double the normal low-season price.
