Delta and United Airlines return to Israel

US carriers led by Delta and United are resuming flights to Israel this week after summer suspensions caused by the war in Iran.

The long-awaited move, which comes ahead of the Jewish holiday season, a busy travel time, follows the resumption of flights to Tel Aviv by most major European airlines.

Delta Air Lines will resume service to Tel Aviv on Sunday with a daily flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

United Airlines will resume service Tuesday and offer two daily flights from its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. A third flight, operating four times a week, is scheduled to begin in November.

Travel consultants said it would take time for airfare prices to fall and that much-needed competition on the lucrative transatlantic route would impact prices most clearly after the autumn holiday season.

“It’s interesting that while Delta aggressively promoted its return with attractive fares, United took the opposite approach,” Mark Feldman, CEO of Jerusalem-based Ziontours, told JNS on Sunday. “They have priced their flights for the remainder of 2026 at very high prices in their economy, premium economy and business classes.”

Service from other US cities to Israel will resume later this year.

United flights from Chicago and Washington to Israel will resume in October, and Delta flights from Atlanta will begin service in December.

American Airlines remains an outlier among the three largest legacy carriers and has again delayed its return to Tel Aviv until next spring.

By next month, five airlines plan to operate direct flights between the US and Israel: El Al, Arkia, Israir, United and Delta.

“This month should be an exciting month of consumer decision-making,” Feldman said.