Passengers check baggage at Ben Gurion Airport in June 2025. (Photo by Jack Guez)
AFP via Getty Images
Airlines are suddenly boosting service between the United States and Israel, with the three global U.S. carriers and three Israeli carriers looking to high demand in the coming months.
The latest new flight announcement came Tuesday, when United said it will resume San Francisco-Tel Aviv flying, four days a week on a Boeing 787, starting March 28, 2027. United had suspended the flight in February due to middle east conflict. Israeli carrier El Al announced in June that it will begin flights from Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) to San Francisco in October. Both cities are technology centers.
Meanwhile, on the Tel Aviv-New York Kennedy route, three Israeli carriers have or will have service, as will Delta, while United offers Newark service.
“The timing is because they see that Israel is open for tourists, that Israel is safe for tourists,” Yoram Elgrabli, tourism commissioner for North America at the Israel Ministry of Tourism, said Tuesday in an interview.
Now the airlines “are all coming at the same time,” Elgrabli said. “I think that airlines are hearing the voice from the market, the demand from the market. We know there is demand here in the US market. We have much to offer the American traveler.”
Delta will resume daily flights between JFK-TLV on Sept. 6, while United will go to double daily service from Newark to TLV on Sept. 8.
Also, American Airlines plans to return to the JFK-TLV market in March 2027, while Air Canada plans to reinstate service from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) four times weekly beginning Jan. 17, 2027.
Meanwhile, two startup Israeli carriers plan New York service. They are Israir, a budget carrier that has just received Federal Aviation Administration to begin New York area service in mid-October, and Arkia, which began JFK service last year. Long-established El Al serves both New York airports.
According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz. “Israir, owned by Israeli retail mogul Rami Levy since early 2021, announced on Monday in a filing made to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that it had received FAA approval.
The carrier has said it would begin flying to JFK on October 19, “though airline officials added that they would consider moving up the date of the inaugural flight if the airline receives the final approval to do so,” Haaretz said. Israir is expected to operate the flights with two Airbus A330-200s, which it acquired earlier this year. “The two aircraft were initially flown by US Airways in 2010 and were later transferred to American Airlines in 2015, in the wake of the merger of the two U.S. carriers,” Haaretz said.
Arkia began TLV-JFK service in February 2025, flying three days a week. It leases widebody aircraft and crews from other carriers. It currently leases a Boeing 787 and will begin using an Airbus A330-300 next month, according to The Jerusalem Post.
El Al serves both JFK and Newark, as well as Boston, Los Angeles and Miami.
With all the service, fares appear to be coming down. They were high when the U.S. carriers suspended service and only El Al was willing to operate.
“In early July, after Israel’s airspace reopened following the 12-day war with Iran, round-trip El Al economy fares stood at around $1,530 and increased to $2,666 at the end of the month,” The Jerusalem Post reported in July, citing Tel Aviv origination fares. “And in August, El Al economy class flight tickets were almost sold out, with the company offering travelers the option to pay for premium class tickets with fares ranging from $3,650 to $4,060. On Arkia, prices ranged from $1,750 to $2,500, and were selling for as much as $3,400 toward the end of August.”
Today, for travel originating in late October, Delta round trip fares start at $1,454, while Delta Comfort starts at $3,044. Elgrabli said, “Competition is always good for everyone. For the American customer, the price is going down.”
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