Summary
- United Airlines extends flight suspension to Tel Aviv until May 10th for safety assessment.
- Service frequency to increase to double daily by June 1st, using Boeing 787-10 aircraft for both flights.
- Other US carriers will resume flights to Tel Aviv later in the year, while El Al continues operations to US destinations.
United Airlines has extended the cancelation of its flights to Tel Aviv until May 10th while it completes a safety assessment. The carrier paused flying between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) on April 19th following escalations in the Israel-Gaza war.
Services will soon increase to double daily
The daily service is due to resume on May 10th, and despite the recent suspension, its frequency is still planned to increase throughout the rest of May, reaching double daily from June 1st. United Airlines will deploy its Boeing 787-10 aircraft on both flights, which will operate as per the following schedule:
- UA84 EWR-TLV 15:30-08:55 (+1)
- UA85 TLV-EWR 11:00-15:50
- UA90 EWR-TLV 22:55-16:20 (+1)
- UA91 TLV-EWR 23:23-04:05 (+1)
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
In a statement reported by Reuters, the airline said:
“We continue to closely monitor the situation and will make decisions on all upcoming flights with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews.”
United Airlines in Israel
Prior to the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023, United Airlines flew to Tel Aviv from four of its US hubs – Newark (EWR), Washington (IAD), San Francisco (SFO), and Chicago (ORD), giving it the largest presence in Israel of all US carriers. However, all services were suspended following the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023. Over 606,000 passengers flew between Newark and Tel Aviv last year, while more than 640,000 flew between New York (JFK) and the Israeli city.
Photo: viper-zero | Shutterstock
United Airlines became the first US carrier to resume service to Tel Aviv on March 2nd with its daily flight from Newark. Delta Air Lines currently plans to resume flying to Tel Aviv from New York (JFK) on June 7th, although its other flights from Atlanta (ATL) and Boston (BOS) remain suspended. American Airlines is set to operate between New York (JFK) and Tel Aviv once more from October 28th.
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
Meanwhile, the Israeli flag carrier El Al continues to operate between Tel Aviv and Newark, as well as to five other destinations across the US – New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), and Fort Lauderdale (FLL). The airline’s long-haul flights are operated by its fleet of Boeing 787-8, 787-9, and 777-200ER aircraft.
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Data from ch-aviation shows that United Airlines currently has 21 Boeing 787-10s in its fleet, with an average age of 3.9 years old. Each 787-10 seats a total of 314 passengers in a three-class configuration – 44 in business class, 21 in premium economy, and 253 in economy class. The carrier also operates 12 Boeing 787-8s and 38 787-9s, and has a staggering 150 787-9s still on order from Boeing, awaiting delivery.
What do you think of United Airlines’ decision to extend the suspension of its services between Newark and Tel Aviv? Have you flown on the carrier between the US and Tel Aviv? Share your thoughts and experiences by commenting below.
