For U.S.-based airlines that run flights to Israel, it’s been a year of uncertainty and back-and-forth.
When the militant group Hamas broke through the country’s border and killed over 2,000 people in October 2023, the Israeli government’s military response prompted an immediate cancelation of almost all flights into the area.
While airlines such as United (UAL) and American Airlines (AAL) restarted and stopped their Tel Aviv service at different points throughout 2024, the situation both within Gaza and the conflict with nearby countries such as Lebanon has continued to escalate to the point that the latter airline is now canceling all of its Israel service until the summer of 2025.
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Prior to the war between Israel and Gaza, American Airlines ran flights to Tel Aviv from cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami. While the airline had initially said that it would restart service in October 2024, it later pushed the date back to April 2025 — a milestone that is now unlikely to be met before the upcoming September.
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American Airlines to passengers: ‘We are expanding our travel alert’
“To provide customers with certainty when planning travel to Tel Aviv, we are expanding our travel alert to allow customers whose travel plans are impacted to rebook their itinerary for travel involving a partner airline or cancel for a refund,” American Airlines said in a statement to the press.
Out of the “big three” U.S. airlines, American has taken the most conservative approach to its Israel service. United Airlines resumed some flights to Tel Aviv from Newark and San Francisco during last spring and summer, but canceled service again amid Israel’s attack on Lebanon and the escalating threat from Iran.
Delta Air Lines (DAL) restarted JFK-Tel Aviv service briefly in June before cutting it again in October amid Hezbollah intensifying rocket attacks on northern Israel.
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Delta has similar stance: ‘Continuously monitoring the evolving security environment’
“Delta is continuously monitoring the evolving security environment and assessing our operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports and will communicate any updates as needed,” the airline said at the time. “As always, the safety of customers and crew remains paramount.”
Both United and Delta offered passengers who may have already booked flights refunds and travel waivers for the future, while American Airlines did this when it initially canceled service in October 2023.
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Delta is currently the only airline that has committed to a specific day on which it will restart service — April 1, 2025 — although the volatility of the situation means that any such milestones can be changed at a moment’s notice. As a result, Israel’s flagship airline El Al (ELALF) is currently the only way for U.S. residents to fly directly to the region.
A number of European airlines, including British Airways, Lufthansa (DLAKF) and the Hungarian Wizz Air (WZZAF) have also recently canceled flights to Israel, Lebanon and nearby Jordan.
British Airways said that canceling service until March 2025 will give passengers “greater certainty” rather than starting and canceling flights like many airlines have done throughout 2024. Amid a lack of competition, El Al has seen its profits soar from passengers who continue to travel and have no other choice of airline — at $1.98, the airline’s stock is up by nearly 111% since the start of 2024.
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