While Ben Gurion Airport is setting negative records on the global disruption charts, two major U.S. airlines are preparing to resume flights to Israel. Will they bring back price competition on the coveted North American routes? The answer is definitely yes. And it is happening even before Israir joins the New York route — a move expected to get underway in the second half of October.
United Airlines is preparing to return to Israel with two daily flights. Service will begin Sept. 8 on the Newark-Tel Aviv route, operated with the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Delta Air Lines is also preparing to return to Ben Gurion Airport, starting Sept. 6. American Airlines, meanwhile, will not resume flights to Tel Aviv before summer 2027.
Since Oct. 7, all U.S. airlines operating flights to Tel Aviv have suspended their service. Now, with two major carriers returning, we checked how their comeback will affect the range of fares to New York. The bottom line, according to ynet's analysis, is that the move is indeed the starting gun for renewed price competition on the popular route.
The big December
It should also be noted that finding available economy-class seats on El Al flights during the Tishrei holidays (Sept. 11 to Oct. 4) is now almost impossible. A few business-class seats may still be available here and there, but the price will reflect that, as passengers booked flights to New York well in advance, before they knew United and Delta would officially return. The return of the U.S. airlines to Tel Aviv just days before Rosh Hashanah will naturally increase capacity and provide an excellent option for those who have yet to buy tickets.
Looking ahead to the end of 2026, affordable fares for Christmas are already visible. Our fare comparison, based on the total cost of round-trip tickets, shows that flights to New York return to a reasonable three-digit price range in December. On Delta, for travel from Dec. 22 to Jan. 3, fares start at $983, including a carry-on and checked baggage in economy class. For the same dates, El Al's economy fare is $1,220, Arkia's is $1,598 and United's economy fare, including a carry-on and checked bag, is $1,842.
For those looking to celebrate Rosh Hashanah in New York, we found United tickets for travel from Sept. 9 to Sept. 17 starting at $1,830 in economy, including a carry-on and checked bag. On Delta, a similar ticket starts at $1,862. On El Al, only premium-class seats are available for the outbound flight while economy is available on the return, at a total cost of $3,400 including a carry-on and checked bag. On Arkia, the fare is $3,498 for economy, including a carry-on and checked bag.
Delta business class
(Photo: Delta Air Lines)
If you want to spend Sukkot in New York, from Sept. 24 to Oct. 6, the lowest economy fare we found, including a carry-on and checked bag, was on United, starting at $1,735. On Delta, a similar economy ticket starts at $2,219 and on Arkia at $2,698. On El Al, the fare starts at $4,945 because only premium-class seats remain and there are no available economy seats.
We also checked a random date in November, from Nov. 5 to Nov. 16. The cheapest economy ticket, including a carry-on and checked bag, was on Delta, starting at $1,221. El Al's fare was $1,280, Arkia's was $1,398 and United's was $1,842.
From Newark to Ben Gurion — and back. United Airlines Dreamliner
(Photo: IanC66 / Shutterstock.com)
Gil Hahn, CEO of Eshet Tours, said: "The return of U.S. airlines to Ben Gurion Airport is excellent news. After a long period in which capacity on routes to the U.S. was limited and prices remained high, their return, along with the expansion of operations by Israeli airlines, is expected to significantly increase the number of available seats and intensify competition in the market. We expect to see prices decline starting in November, after the elections and once the peak summer and holiday seasons have ended. The combination of a seasonal decline in demand and a significant increase in supply could create opportunities we haven't seen on U.S. routes for a long time."