El Al opened ticket sales Thursday for its new direct route to Buenos Aires, which will begin operating this November and become the longest route in the airline’s history. Starting fares for a round-trip economy ticket are $1,349, and the flights will operate twice a week on Dreamliner aircraft. At the same time, the company also opened sales for direct flights to Seoul, South Korea, which will begin in March 2027, with fares starting at $1,199.
Flights to Buenos Aires will operate on Sundays and Tuesdays on Dreamliner aircraft with three service classes. According to El Al, the flight is expected to take more than 16 hours and will mark the first direct connection of its kind between Israel and South America in more than a decade. The company said it is the longest route it currently operates.
5 View gallery
Colorful houses on Caminito Street in Buenos Aires’ La Boca neighborhood
(Photo: RudiErnst / Shutterstock)
Last month, El Al announced that it would return to South America for the first time since 2011 with the launch of the direct route to the Argentine capital. The announcement was made during Argentine President Javier Milei’s visit to Israel, and the company said at the time that the route was expected to strengthen tourism, business and diplomatic ties between the countries, as well as ties with Argentina’s Jewish community.
At the same time, the airline also opened sales Thursday for its direct route to Seoul. The flights will begin in March 2027 and operate three times a week — on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturday nights — also on Dreamliner aircraft. Round-trip economy LITE fares will start at $1,199.
Shlomi Zafrany, El Al’s vice president of commercial and sales, said that “the opening of sales to the two destinations is part of a broader move to expand El Al’s route network, in which the company recently announced a series of new destinations in Asia, Europe and South America.”
Surprise on an Arkia flight
Meanwhile, Arkia announced Thursday a new move in the field of in-flight cuisine. As part of a collaboration with international chef and the company’s new executive chef Shahaf Shabtay, Arkia held its first “chef on board” event on its flight to New York. Shabtay joined the flight and accompanied it with a special menu inspired by a Greek taverna and an American bistro.
The company said the event marked the launch of a broader effort to upgrade its in-flight culinary offering, with meal menus on long-haul flights and other company flights expected to be updated in the coming weeks.
$99 one way: Air Haifa opens the summer
Air Haifa also announced Thursday that it is renewing flights to Paphos and opening the summer season with its first seasonal flight to Rhodes. According to the company, the Paphos route will operate at a frequency of up to four flights a day, and the airline will offer up to 11 daily flights to Cyprus in total.
Later this month, Air Haifa is expected to launch flights to Crete, Karpathos and Mykonos, joining its existing network of destinations, which includes Athens, Larnaca and Eilat. Fares will start at $99 one way, subject to terms and availability.
First published: 16:14, 05.07.26