American Airlines has announced it will not be resuming flights to Israel until September 2025, in one of the longest air service suspensions applied so far in Israel’s year-plus war against Hamas and Hezbollah, and the longest by any US carrier.
The Dallas-headquartered firm has not flown to Israel since Hamas’s deadly incursions into the so-called Gaza Envelope on 7 October 2023. It had previously cancelled flights until May 2024, with an extension then issued to March 2025 after recent escalations in hostilities.
“To provide certainty”
Now, the airline, which operates more daily flights and carries more scheduled passengers than any other in the world, has added another six months to its suspension of services to Israel and will not fly there before September 2025.
“To provide customers with certainty when planning travel to Tel Aviv, we are expanding our travel alert to allow customers whose travel plans are impacted to rebook their itinerary for travel involving a partner airline or cancel for a refund,” the airline said in a statement.
Could other airlines follow suit?
Other major international carriers such as Delta, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, and easyJet, have also deleted Israel from schedules until March and April 2025 but with updates to policies on routes to Israel coming thick and fast, aviation industry commentators are predicting that the American Airlines announcement could precipitate a further wave of extended flight suspensions.
If that proves true and America’s other major airlines recuse themselves from the Middle East market, El Al will be able to continue to enjoy its position as the only operator serving key US-Israel routes, such as those in and out of New York. With demand outstripping seat capacity, it is a situation that has pushed already-inflated US air ticket prices even higher and seen El Al’s 2024 Q2 profits soar by 80% compared to Q1, amid accusations of price gouging.
Ben Gurion Terminal 1 closed to international flights
So few flights are now operating in and out of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, that its international hub, Terminal 1, has from 1 November closed, other than to some domestic flights. A small number of international flights will be handled by Terminal 3, the Israel Airports Authority said.
The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) has an official travel advisory in place warning against all travel to Gaza, the West Bank, and many parts of Northern Israel, as well as advising against all but essential travel to the rest of Israel and Occupied Territories.
