As a result of the War in Gaza that began in October 2023, the big three U.S. carriers ceased all flying to Israel. While Delta and United have returned to the country, American has yet to resume service, though that is changing in the coming months.
American Will Restart Flights Between New York and Tel Aviv
American Airlines will return to Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv with daily service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) beginning March 28, 2026. American will use Boeing 777-200ER aircraft on the route featuring 37 Business Class and 212 Economy seats.
The 5,677 mile route is blocked at 10 hours and 35 minutes eastbound and 11 hours and 50 minutes westbound. Flights will operate on the following schedule:
| Flight | Departs | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| JFK-TLV | 11:25p | 5:00p (+1 day) |
| TLV-JFK | 12:35a | 5:25a |
Flights are expected to go on sale as of October 27, 2025 and at that point flight numbers will be assigned for the route. It has been rumored that American will use Flight 18 for the outbound journey as the number holds special significance in Jewish culture.
American is the Last of the Big Three to Return to Israel
United has operated the most service to Israel over the years and was the first carrier to return to the country after the start of the war. Delta hasn’t been in as strong of a position but has recently partnered with El Al, Israel’s flag carrier, allowing travelers to book El Al flights directly through Delta’s website.
American Airlines has historically been the weakest of the Big Three U.S. carriers when it comes to Israel flying. Prior to the pandemic the carrier didn’t serve the country at all, only adding flights in 2021 from New York. However, the Fort Worth based carrier expanded quickly, announcing additional flights to Tel Aviv from both Miami and Dallas/Ft. Worth.
However, American wasn’t able to make the Miami-Tel Aviv route work and cut Dallas-Tel Aviv before it ever launched. The New York to Tel Aviv market seems to have plenty of demand and this new direct flight will likely pull some OneWorld passengers who connected via London when traveling between the two cities.
While I believe that the demand is there for this flight to succeed, American has historically been the weakest of the three in Israel so it will be interesting to see how this route performs.
Summary
American Airlines is returning to Tel Aviv in March 2026 with daily service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The carrier will be the last of the Big Three U.S. carriers to return to Israel following the War in Gaza which began in 2023.
