Delta Air Lines has set a date to restart its direct flights to Israel, bringing more options to travelers eyeing a return to the Middle Eastern nation. Starting June 7, the Atlanta-based carrier will offer daily nonstop trips from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Tel Aviv, as reported by Fox 5 Atlanta. The route resumes after a hiatus that began in October 2023 amid rising violence in the region.
Travelers originally scheduled to fly to Tel Aviv before June are expected to be swiftly contacted by Delta for waivers or reaccommodation options. Delta had to temporarily cease operations due to safety concerns, following a wave of violence triggered by an attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants. United Airlines is reported to have been the first of the major U.S. carriers to resume flights earlier this month from Newark. However, it does not plan to directly restart services from other U.S. cities any time soon, looking to reevaluate that in the fall, according to Reuters.
As Delta gears up to relaunch their operations, the company notes that it will now fly an Airbus A330-900neo on this route. This comes as part of an extensive security risk assessment the airline undertook to ensure the safety of its passengers and crew. Delta's decision seemingly marks a significant step for the resumption of international travel to Israel, signaling a boost to the nation's tourism sector that faced a halt after security fears escalated in the wake of the deadly seesaw of attacks and counterattacks.
The aviation landscape is gradually changing, with other carriers like Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Aegean, and Air France also having restarted their flights to Tel Aviv. American Airlines, which had suspended services too, has flights halted through Oct. 28 but has faced pressure from U.S. lawmakers urging the airline to resume Israeli flights "as soon as possible." Delta affirms it will "continue to closely monitor the situation in Israel in conjunction with government and private-sector partners," offering roughly 2,000 seats weekly between New York and Tel Aviv. This cautious but forward-looking approach appears to be the template as airlines cautiously navigate back into a market ripe with complexities yet essential for global connectivity.
