JNS
Israeli budget carrier Arkia intends to launch flights three times a week to New York next month.
Delta Air Lines said on Thursday it will resume fights to Israel this spring.
Delta is the first U.S. carrier to announce the renewal of service to Tel Aviv, with the news coming as an increasing number of European airlines are renewing flights to Ben-Gurion International Airport as regional tensions de-escalate.
The Atlanta-based carrier said it would restart daily non-stop service to Tel Aviv from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport starting on April 1.
"Delta’s decision to resume service follows a comprehensive security review, conducted in close coordination with government and private-sector partners," Delta said in a press release. "The airline continues to prioritize the safety of its customers and crews and has implemented additional precautions for operations to and from Tel Aviv."
The airline, which will operate its Airbus A330-900neo airliner for the transatlantic flight, will effectively break the monopoly that Israeli flag carrier El Al has had on the lucrative route for much of the 15-month-old war, even as Delta continues to offer code-sharing with El Al.
The daily service on Delta will add nearly 2,000 weekly seats on the popular New York-Tel Aviv route.
Chicago-based United Airlines, which has suspended service indefinitely to Tel Aviv after previously trying to restart flights to Israel twice during the war from its Newark hub, has not yet announced when it will resume flying to Israel.
The announcement by its rival is likely to prompt United to restart its route. Before the war, United offered the most flights to Israel of any U.S. carrier.
Dallas-based American Airlines has stayed away entirely from Israel since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war.
Israeli budget carrier Arkia intends to launch thrice weekly flights to New York next month as well.
The announcement comes days after British Airways likewise confirmed that it will resume service to Israel on April 1 as well, and as Air France is restarting flights already this weekend.
The renewal of service by Delta and British Airways will begin a week before the weeklong Passover holiday—a time when flights to and from Israel are heavily booked.
The Lufthansa Group of airlines announced last week that it will resume service to Israel in February. The global aviation group includes Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways and Eurowings.
