American Airlines resumes flights to and from Israel after five years

American Airlines announced on Sunday that it is resuming its regular service to and from Israel and will operate daily flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Ben-Gurion International Airport starting next month, more than five years after the company’s last flight to Israel.

Americans’ first flight is due to depart from New York on May 6. The inaugural flight from Tel Aviv to New York is scheduled to depart on May 8.

The carrier will be using a Boeing 777-200 aircraft on the route that is configured for economy class, premium economy and business class seating.

JFK-Tel Aviv flights will depart New York at 11:10 P.M. and arrive in Israel at 5:15 P.M. while service from Tel Aviv to New York departs Israel at 12:50 A.M., arriving at Kennedy airport at 6 A.M. 

A random check of several dates next week found round trip tickets available for $700 to $800. As part of American Airlines’ relationship with JetBlue Airways, connecting flights elsewhere in the Northeastern United States will be available on JetBlue.

American’s sales manager in Israel, Jan Pullman-Lavi, said the carrier’s service to and from Israel would be expanded beyond the JFK route to other destinations from Tel Aviv.

American Airlines had been due to resume flights to Israel in September 2020 with nonstop service to Dallas, where it is based, but delayed the plans due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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It last flew to Tel Aviv from Philadelphia in January 2016, several months after reporting the service wasn’t profitable and announcing it would stop.