Air services to Israel are gradually returning to normal following the cessation of the country’s warfare in Gaza. United Airlines is the latest carrier to announce the resumption of flights to Tel Aviv. A daily United flight between New York’s Newark Liberty International and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion will operate from 15 March 2025, upping to two daily services by the end of the month.
United flights
The United schedule will be served by Boeing 787-10s, meaning that 636 seats a day will become available once the two flights are operational. The airline used to operate other flights to Israel from Chicago O’Hare International, San Francisco International, and Washington Dulles International, but suspended the majority of services due to security concerns prompted by Israel’s post-October 2023 military action and rising regional tensions. Services from US cities other than New York may yet still resume, United Airlines said, depending on its evaluation of demand. Its connectivity is anyway enhanced by codesharing arrangements with Lufthansa – see below.
Delta
Delta Air Lines had already announced the resumption of flights between New York JFK and Tel Aviv for 1 April 2025. It also codeshares with El Al, out of Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles and Miami. But, the United plan now means it will beat its competitor and become the first US airline to recommence services to Israel – something it was quick to highlight in a press statement: “United has a longstanding commitment to serving Tel Aviv, and this return will make United the first U.S. airline to resume service this year,” it said.
That will be the case as long as there are no sudden movements from American Airlines, which is still reeling from a recent fatal collision with a Black Hawk military helicopter in the skies above Washington DC.
European carriers
Nonetheless, the US aviation giants are in fact lagging behind other carriers. A range of Lufthansa Group airlines, including Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, ITA, Lufthansa itself, and Swiss International, all relaunched their Israel services on 1 February 2025. And, Simple Flying notes, Wizz Air followed suit by 4 February 2025, with direct connections between Tel Aviv and 13 destinations.
In addition, British Airways is offering daily flights from Heathrow to Tel Aviv from 5 April 2025; and from 1 June 2025, Easyjet will fly four weekly flights from London Luton to Tel Aviv, as well as connections from other major European cities, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, and Basel. Air France reinstated its Paris – Tel Aviv route in January, as did Air France-KLM group subsidiary Transavia. Ryanair meanwhile made noises to Reuters back in December 2024 about recommencing Israel services from a variety of destinations by summer 2025.
