After a period when travelers to the U.S. had to deal with a limited supply of direct flights, U.S. airlines are returning to Ben Gurion Airport. Delta Air Lines resumed operations yesterday (Sunday), and United Airlines today—a move that will expand direct flight options for passengers.
2+Delta’s first flight from New York to Tel Aviv departed yesterday from JFK Airport and landed at Ben Gurion this morning. The return flight from Tel Aviv to New York departed today. The carrier plans to operate the route as a daily flight.
United Airlines is expected to join tomorrow, planning to restore its Israel operations and eventually bring back all four of its direct routes from Israel to the United States. The return will roll out by destination, with New York first.
2+United’s flights to New York through Newark Airport are set to resume on September 9, 2026. Initially, the carrier plans to operate two flights per day, with frequency expected to grow to 18 flights per week.
United will later restore its Chicago route as well. Flights are expected to resume on October 26 with four flights per week. Two days later, on October 28, the Washington route is also expected to restart with three weekly flights. United’s last route to return will be the direct flight to San Francisco. Flights to that destination are expected to resume on March 30, 2027, with three flights per week.
Alongside the return of the American carriers, Israeli airlines are also expanding options for passengers flying to New York. Israir is expected to launch its New York route this month, while El Al and Arkia are already operating flights on the route and ramping up activity.
2+The return of Delta and United to Israel is expected to add significant capacity on U.S. routes, especially to New York, after a period when the number of direct flight options was more limited. For passengers, it means more carriers competing on the same routes and more choices in selecting flights.