Summary
- United Airlines will not be resuming its flights to Israel next week due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.
- The conflict has had a significant impact on flight bookings to the Middle East, with a 12% decline compared to 2019.
- Delta Air Lines has indefinitely cut flights to Tel Aviv from Boston and Atlanta, while United still has flights scheduled for this month from Newark, San Francisco, and Chicago.
United Airlines will not be resuming flights to Israel next week, a company spokesperson told Reuters. A few days ago, there were reports that United was preparing to resume its Israel flights, but that has since been corrected.
Mistake announcement
According to Reuters, a public relations agency that works with United Airlines, published that the Chicago-based airline would resume its flights to Tel Aviv next week. Since the report was published, several outlets have spread the news, leading United to correct that. United will not be resuming its flights to Israel next week because of the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Since war broke out early last month, several carriers have suspended service to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. From October 9 to October 21, fifteen airlines had stopped flying to Israel. United, which flew to Tel Aviv from Newark Liberty International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Dulles International Airport, suspended services from all airports. Tel Aviv, the Israeli flag carrier, suspended a small amount of flights and has continued operations.
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
Now, the conflict is having a significant impact on flight bookings worldwide. Not only is Israel suffering and the nations that were connected to it, but surrounding countries also, as many are afraid to travel to the region. Simple Flying reported yesterday that flight bookings to the Middle East had declined 12% compared to 2019.
Delta Air Lines took a more drastic approach to its Tel Aviv services, indefinitely cutting flights from Boston Logan International Airport and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport. From John F. Kennedy International Airport, Delta had only suspended flights through November 15, but service from its two other hubs mentioned above was cut completely. Before the conflict began, Delta was flying from Boston to Tel Aviv three times weekly using the Airbus A330neos (A330-900s), offering almost 3,500 seats.
From Atlanta, Delta flew to Tel Aviv daily with its Airbus A350-900s, meaning more than 8,500 monthly seats were cut from the schedule. Delta stated that it was continuously monitoring the rapidly changing situation and would make adjustments as needed, prioritizing the safety of its passengers and crew.
Who is still flying?
According to Cirium schedule data, United does have flights scheduled to Tel Aviv this month from three of its hubs. Simple Flying contacted United for a statement but did not receive a reply at the time of publication. From Newark, twice-daily flights are scheduled to resume on November 25, right after the Thanksgiving holiday. From San Francisco and Chicago, United has one scheduled flight on November 30.
Photo: Benthemouse | Shutterstock
Delta Air Lines has two flights scheduled at the end of the month from JFK. El Al’s schedule remains busy, with 310 roundtrip flights scheduled to five American destinations. To JFK, El Al has at least two flights scheduled on most days, with operations reaching four daily a few days after Thanksgiving. In total, more than 82,000 seats are available on all of El Al’s American routes.