United Airlines will become first US carrier to resume Israel flights since Gaza war
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United, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines all suspended US service to Israel in October 2023 following the attack.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - United Airlines said on Feb 21 it plans to resume direct US flights to Israel early in March, becoming the first American carrier to resume direct service since the Oct 7 attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel.
United, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines all suspended US service to Israel in October following the attack.
Chicago-based United said it will resume flights from Newark in New Jersey to Tel Aviv in March but does not plan to restart flights from other US cities until at least this fall.
Restarting US carrier flights to Tel Aviv signals a potential turning point for travel to Israel, after tourism dried up on security fears following the Hamas rampage and subsequent Israel bombardment of Gaza.
United said its goal is to resume daily non-stop service to Tel Aviv starting March 6 from Newark on a Boeing 787-10.
On March 2 and 4, the airline will operate flights from Newark to Tel Aviv with a stop in Munich, Germany, “to ensure all service providers are ready to support non-stop service to and from Newark”, the airline said.
United said it “conducted a detailed safety analysis in making this decision, including close work with security experts and government officials in the United States and Israel”.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The airline said it “will continue to monitor the situation in Tel Aviv and adjust the schedule as warranted, including changes to the resumed service from New York/Newark announced today”.
Before Oct 7, United had four direct flights daily to Tel Aviv from Newark, San Francisco, Washington and Chicago. The airline said the flights where service has not yet resumed “will be evaluated for resumption beginning in the fall”.
Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Aegean and Air France are among other airlines that have restarted flights to Tel Aviv.
Delta has cancelled flights to Israel through April 30 while American Airlines has halted flights through Oct 28. In October 2023, more than 30 US lawmakers urged the airlines to resume flights to Israel “as soon as possible”. REUTERS
