American Airlines is the latest airline to relaunch services to Israel, with the oneworld carrier set to resume services between New York and Tel Aviv from March 2026. The Fort-Worth-based carrier isn’t stopping there, with additional plans including a potential addition of non-stop flights from Los Angeles to Ahuzat Bayit (the Hebrew name for Tel Aviv).
While the airline has not set a date for the LA route, American Airlines fans will be able to fly non-stop to Ben Gurion Airport by Spring 2026. The carrier made the decision recently, following a meeting with Israeli Minister of Transport, National Infrastructure, and Road Safety Miri Regev during her state visit to the United States.
First Flights After A Two-Year Absence
Credit: GCMap
American will relaunch services from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) starting March 28, with a flight with an approximate flight time of 10 hours and 15 minutes. The return service, according to the Jerusalem Post, will resume on March 31.
The move to return to Israel comes after a lengthy delay as many major airlines cut back services to Israel following the regional conflict. This shift by major American carriers to return to Tel Aviv signals a change in the carrier’s strategy, with the airline set to re-establish its strengths in the region. Other carriers, such as 
Delta Air Lines and 
United Airlines, have already returned to Tel Aviv, with services kicking off this September.
A Popular International Flight For The Carrier
Credit: Shutterstock
American Airlines had previously served Tel Aviv up until the Hamas-led attack that triggered the regional conflict. Since then, many carriers have reduced services to the region, and this has led to more than a two-year absence of American in the region. Both Delta and United Airlines were also pretty quick to axe flights, leaving Israeli carrier EL AL to be the sole operator between the US and Israel for some time. More recently, Arkia also kicked off trans-Atlantic services, with its first link to the United States commencing this February.
AA will serve JFK to TLV daily with a non-stop service from March 28, and will likely be a popular international route for the airline, given the nearly 7.5 million Jewish diaspora that reside in the United States, and almost one million that call New York home (according to the American Jewish Population Project).
It had been widely speculated that American was plotting a return to New York, with the airline recently looking to hire Hebrew-speaking flight attendants, which is usually a fair sign that an airline is looking to resume flights to the region. While for now AA will kick off with non-stop flights from JFK, a service from Los Angeles remains a rumour, and there are no immediate signs that the airline will consider services from other major hubs such as 
Philadelphia International Airport, 
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, or 
Miami International Airport.
Airliens Returning To Israel
Credit: Shutterstock
Throughout the conflict between Israel and Palestine, most major carriers scaled back international operations to and from Tel Aviv and the smaller southern airport of Ramon (ETM). This was due to heightened security concerns. However, following peace talks and meetings with the Israeli Minister, there has been an abundance of carriers returning to the region.
Air Canada, which already operates non-stop flights from Toronto, will return with a direct link from Montreal (YUL) next May, while Air India will resume services from the end of December this year. Other carriers, such as British Airways, will return to Tel Aviv from October 26. European low-cost carrier easyJet is also planning to resume the majority of its budget services to Ben Gurion, with Amsterdam, Basel, Geneva, London Luton, Milan, and Nice returning next March.
Middle Eastern heavyweight Emirates will reconnect direct flights from Dubai on March 31, 2026, while Iberia and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will serve Tel Aviv from Madrid and Copenhagen, respectively, from October 26. Other airlines such as Transavia, TUS Airways, and Wizz Air are also set to resume flights to various destinations across October through to March.