United Relaunches Tel Aviv Flights as Competition Heats Up

United Airlines is set to resume nonstop flights between Newark and Tel Aviv on September 8, with a double-daily nonstop flight. This marks the first time the carrier has flown to Israel since the start of the Iran War at the end of February 2026. The resumption of services to Israel by United will start with a double-daily nonstop flight between Newark and Tel Aviv, before expanding to three more of United’s hubs over the coming months.

WHAT TO KNOW

• Three more US hubs are getting Tel Aviv service of their own before the year is out.
• A rival airline just got back into the New York-Tel Aviv market for the first time in over 16 years.
• One major US carrier still won't commit to a return date at all.
• The reason Dubai is taking so much longer than Tel Aviv comes down to simple geography.

Flight Schedule

The expansion includes flights from Chicago O’Hare, Washington Dulles, and San Francisco to Tel Aviv, with the following start dates:

Both the Chicago and Washington Dulles flights have been moved forward by a week, and from November 2, United also plans to add a third daily flight from its Newark hub to Tel Aviv.

Competition in the Market

Delta Air Lines resumed non-stop service to Tel Aviv from its New York JFK hub on Sunday, with the first flight landing in Israel at 8:43 am on Monday. The first time a Delta plane has landed in Israel in over five months. According to Delta, the decision to resume flights to Israel had been made following a “thorough review of the evolving security environment in the region.” The statement added: “The safety and security of our customers and employees remain our top priority, and Delta will continue to monitor the situation closely in coordination with aviation authorities and government agencies.”

Delta has not yet announced a planned resumption of flights between Atlanta and Tel Aviv, while the launch of a new service between Boston and Tel Aviv had previously been pushed back to late October at the earliest.

American Airlines, which has not flown to Israel since the October 7, 2023, terror atrocities, has yet to announce a concrete date for when it will resume flights to Tel Aviv. In any case, the airline says flights won’t restart before early 2027.

Dubai Services Remain Grounded

United’s nonstop service to Dubai remains suspended until next year, with the daily flight from Newark to Dubai not restarting until March 27, 2027, at the earliest. This extended delay is due to Dubai's proximity to Iran, making it a greater risk of kamikaze drones and ballistic missile attacks. A trusted aviation insider, the threat of attacks has resulted in the delayed resumption of services to Dubai. Despite this threat, local officials have reported very few attacks in recent months, and reported incursions have been aimed at its territorial waters, rather than the city itself.

Increased Competition

The Israeli flag carrier El Al has enjoyed a virtual monopoly on nonstop flights between Israel and the United States, but this is set to change with the launch of new services. Israir, an Israeli low-cost airline, is launching flights between Tel Aviv and New York for the first time in more than 16 years, having acquired two ex-American Airlines Airbus A330 aircraft for the service. Israir first submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Transportation to return to the United States in March 2025, but it didn’t secure approval to start flights until last month. This increased competition is expected to impact the market, with El Al having previously been accused of price gouging, a charge that the airline denied.