Delta Air Lines to Resume Tel Aviv Flights From New York in June

Delta Air Lines is now set resume Tel Aviv flights. A daily nonstop service to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) will operate from New York JFK this summer.

Delta will resume service on the route on June 7, 2024, following an extensive security risk assessment by the airline. The route was temporarily suspended in October 2023.

The airline will operate the route on an Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. This will provide customers with nearly 2,000 weekly seats from New York to Israel.

Delta will continue to closely monitor the situation in Israel in conjunction with government and private-sector partners.

Delta flights between TLV and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) were originally cancelled until 30 April. However, the service resumption was subsequently put back from May until June.

In recent months, Delta has also strengthened its presence in Israel through a codeshare arrangement with EL AL Israel Airlines.

Delta customers have access to EL AL’s direct services to Tel Aviv from major U.S. cities. This will include New York JFK, New York/Newark, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

With the upcoming reinstatement of Delta’s New York-JFK service this summer, customers have additional travel choices connecting North America and Israel.

Delta Follows United with Service Resumptions

Delta now becomes the second major US airline to re-establish flight services to Israel. United Airlines recently resumed services with a daily flight from New York/Newark to Tel Aviv.

Outside of the US, other carriers have also resumed services to Israel, with Reuters reporting Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian and Aegean amongst European carriers.

In the Middle East, UAE’s flydubai and Etihad Airways have now recommenced Tel Aviv flights. The resumptions by major world carriers hopefully marks a turning point in the protracted Israel-Gaza conflict.

Ongoing security concerns prompted the decision by major US carriers Delta, United and American to suspend flights to Tel Aviv.

Airlines operating into Tel Aviv during the Israel-Gaza conflict encountered several problems, including:

• Disrupted flight operations due to conflict. Fighting in the region made it dangerous to fly into or out of Tel Aviv. Airlines proactively canceled or rerouted flights to avoid airspace deemed unsafe.
• Increased security measures causing delays. Heightened security measures at the airport led to longer wait times for passengers. This caused sporadic delays and disruptions to flight schedules.
• Airspace closures. In some cases, Israeli airspace closed completely, grounding all flights and causing significant travel disruptions.
• Potential damage to airport infrastructure. There was a risk that the airport itself could be damaged by shelling or rocket attacks. This would cause a major disruption to air travel and threaten safety and security.

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