Following other international airlines, Delta is set to resume flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) starting 1 April, becoming the first US carrier to resume service on this route after a suspension triggered by the conflict in the region.
The announcement comes after the airline extended its initial suspension of flights through 31 March, citing regional conflict as the primary concern. Services will operate daily, on an Airbus A330-900neo.
Delta’s decision follows “a comprehensive security review conducted in partnership with government and private-sector stakeholders”, the carrier has explained. The airline emphasized its commitment to customer and crew safety, implementing additional precautions to ensure secure operations in the region.
“With the reinstatement of Delta’s service, customers now have greater flexibility and travel options between North America and Israel,” the airline said, adding that it “continues to prioritize the safety of its customers and crews and has implemented additional precautions for operations to and from Tel Aviv.”
To further enhance connectivity, the carrier has also announced a codeshare agreement with Israeli flag carrier, El Al. The partnership will allow passengers to book travel on El Al-operated flights from major US cities, including Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Fort Lauderdale, to Tel Aviv, through the Delta’s website.
Prior to the October 2023 conflict, Delta operated up to 15 weekly flights to Tel Aviv, including routes from Atlanta and Boston. While the current schedule focuses solely on the JFK-TLV route, the airline’s future plans may include expanding its services, depending on market demand and security conditions.
While other US airlines, including United Airlines and American Airlines, have yet to resume flights, European carriers have already announced or even started their return. The Lufthansa Group, encompassing Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa, Swiss and now also ITA Airways, following the finalisation of a minority stake acquisition, will resume flights to Tel Aviv as of 1 February.
Air France will reinstate its Paris-Tel Aviv route on 24 January and the service to Beirut on 31 January. Group partner KLM will however not restart flights at least until 29 March. Air France-KLM group subsidiary Transavia will resume flights to Tel Aviv on 27 January but keep the halt on services to Beirut and Amman until spring. Among UK carriers, British Airways will resume flights to Tel Aviv on 5 April while easyJet will only return to Israel from 1 June.
Meanwhile, low-cost carrier Wizz Air has already resumed routes to Tel Aviv from cities such as Athens, Budapest, London, Milan and Vienna. The low-cost carrier has also resumed services from Budapest and London to Amman, Jordan.
