American Airlines announced it will resume flights from New York to Israel starting March 28, 2026. According to the airline, ticket sales will open on Monday, October 27, 2025.
The carrier halted service to Israel following the outbreak of war in October 2023. With its return in the spring, it will compete on the Tel Aviv–New York route with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, El Al and Arkia, all of which currently operate direct flights. American Airlines will offer daily service using wide-body Boeing 777-200 aircraft.
Israel’s aviation sector is experiencing a recovery after a prolonged crisis. During the upcoming Hanukkah holiday, the number of airlines operating from Ben-Gurion Airport is expected to double compared to last year. Earlier this week, we reviewed post-war airfare prices. Fares to many of the most popular destinations from Ben-Gurion reflect growing competition among airlines, particularly on short- and medium-haul routes.
El Al is offering flights to Larnaca for $84, Aegean to Athens for $89 and Wizz Air to Budapest for $136 — very competitive prices by recent standards. London is also available from $145 with Wizz Air. In contrast, prices for direct flights to New York and Bangkok have yet to return to pre-war levels, currently starting around $700.
Yaniv Lennis, founder of the travel deals website Secret Flights, told ynet earlier this week — prior to the American Airlines announcement — that “the return of U.S. carriers United and Delta to Ben-Gurion, along with future routes to Washington and Chicago, has brought a significant shift to the direct flights market to the U.S. Today, for example, you can find direct flights to New York in November for around $700. We haven’t seen prices like that in a long time. This is healthy competition on North American routes that benefits the Israeli consumer.”