Major Airlines Resume Flights to Israel Amid Route Expansion
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Major European airlines British Airways and Iberia are resuming flights to Israel on October 25, ending suspensions due to security concerns. El Al will restart its Tel Aviv-San Francisco route after six years, while United Airlines adds Chicago and Washington D.C. flights. Domestic carrier Air Haifa is also launching new Tel Aviv-Eilat service.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- British Airways and Iberia resume flights to Israel on October 25 after security-related suspensions.
- El Al restarts direct Tel Aviv-San Francisco flights on October 25 after a six-year break.
- United Airlines will operate new direct flights to Chicago and Washington D.C. starting October 26.
- Iberia Express returns to the Israeli market after a two-year absence.
- Air Haifa launches new domestic flights between Tel Aviv and Eilat on October 25.
International airlines are returning to Israel, coinciding with the launch of new routes, some of which have been closed for years. On October 25, Ben Gurion Airport expects the return of two major European carriers, British Airways and Iberia, both part of the International Airlines Group (IAG). These companies had previously suspended service to Israel due to security concerns but are now resuming regular schedules.
British Airways plans to operate daily flights between Ben Gurion Airport and London Heathrow, with the first flight from London arriving on October 25 and the return flight from Tel Aviv scheduled for the morning of October 26. Iberia, through its subsidiary Iberia Express, is also returning to daily flights between Tel Aviv and Madrid. Iberia Express had been absent from the Israeli market for over two years, having last served the route in early August 2024, and had previously suspended flights after the war began in October 2023, resuming them in spring 2024 only to cease service again months later. British Airways had stopped its flights at the end of February 2024, with previous return dates having been postponed.
The expansion of air travel is not limited to European destinations. El Al intends to reestablish direct flights between Tel Aviv and San Francisco on October 25, marking a return after a six-year hiatus that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further changes are expected on American routes, with United Airlines scheduled to operate direct flights between Ben Gurion Airport and Chicago starting October 26, and resuming flights to Washington D.C. three times a week from October 28.
Additionally, Air Haifa is launching domestic flights from Tel Aviv to Eilat. Two departures are scheduled for October 25 from Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion Airport, at 11:20 AM and 5:45 PM, utilizing ATR 72-600 aircraft for a flight duration of approximately one hour.
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