US carrier Delta Airlines is considering bringing forward its resumption of flights to and from Israel, a source close to the matter has told "Globes."
In the past the airline has extended its cancellation of flights until April 1 but the announcement of the return of major European airlines to Israel including Lufthansa Group, Air France, British Airways and easyJet has increased the likelihood that US airlines will join the wave of resumptions and return to Israel.
It has been possible for some time to book Delta flights from Tel Aviv to New York in April but consumers have been hesitant because the airline is yet to officially announce the resumption of flights on a specific date as is the custom of carriers recommencing service to Ben Gurion airport.
There is major optimism in the tourist industry that Delta's return will at least happen, as planned, in April. Both in the wake of the wave of foreign companies that have already officially announced that they will return to Israel, and also thanks to political pressure in the US.
Senator Ted Cruz (Republican - Texas) has spoken on the subject, and believes US airlines will return flights to Israel within 30 days. In an interview conducted in Washington, D.C., Cruz said that in his opinion the suspension of flights is not due to safety considerations but to political considerations, and according to him, there is involvement from labor unions, especially the flight attendants' union, which has expressed anti-Israeli positions. Cruz, who is to head the Senate Commerce Committee, noted that he is able to take significant steps to restore flights, and expressed confidence that the situation will be resolved by the end of February.
Prior to the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023 Delta operated seven weekly flights between New York and Tel Aviv, seven weekly flights between Atlanta cand Tel Aviv and three weekly flights between Boston and Tel Aviv. In May 2024, Delta resumed New York Tel Aviv flights for three months but halted them in August due to the escalation in the north and since then has been continually extending its suspension.
Delta is not the only US carrier that has had its Israel flights disrupted by the war. United Airlines suspended its flights in October 2023 and returned for several months in 2024, while American Airlines has not resumed flights since October 2023 at all. Only Delta has specified a date to which it has extended its cancellation, while United and American have canceled flights until further notice. Before the war, the three US airlines together operated 55 weekly flights between Tel Aviv and various US destinations.
No good news on Israel-US fares
The potential return of Delta to Israel has still not brought down fares. A selection of random dates in April by "Globes" found that Delta's return tickets were more expensive than El Al.
A return ticket on April 2 to New York and returning to Tel Aviv on April 17 costs $1,943 on Delta, $1,290 on El Al, and $2,098 on Arkia. A return ticket on April 7 to New York and returning to Tel Aviv on April 17 costs $1,833 on Delta, $1,365 on El Al and $2,048 on Arkia. A return ticket on April 10 to New York and returning to Tel Aviv on April 20 costs $2,278 on Delta, $1,290 on El Al, and $2,398 on Arkia.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 22, 2025.
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