American Airlines announced on Sunday that it will resume flights to Israel on 28 March, reinstating its New York (JFK) to Tel Aviv route that was suspended after Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack, which triggered the two-year war in Gaza.
The decision follows a wave of resumptions by other major carriers, including Delta and United Airlines, which have already restarted flights to Israel. Many international airlines halted operations to Tel Aviv after the conflict began, citing security concerns amid missile fire from Iran and Yemen.
The suspension had left Israel’s flag carrier, El Al, and smaller airlines Arkia and Israir operating most international routes, driving ticket prices sharply higher due to limited capacity.
Following the recent U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, several European carriers including British Airways, SAS, Iberia, and Swiss are also set to resume services to Tel Aviv this week.
Once American Airlines returns to service, it will become the fifth carrier operating nonstop flights between the United States and Israel, alongside El Al, Arkia, Delta, and United.
United Airlines plans to expand further, adding routes to Tel Aviv from Washington and Chicago in early November, in addition to its existing Newark service.
According to the Israel Airports Authority, passenger traffic at Ben Gurion International Airport rose by 25% in the first nine months of 2025 to 13.6 million travellers, while El Al’s market share dropped to 32.5% from 44% a year earlier.
