Delta Air Lines has confirmed that it plans to resume non-stop service between New York JFK and Tel Aviv on September 6 with a once-daily service operated on its Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. The Atlanta-based carrier will beat out United Airlines in returning to Israel by two days.
In a statement, the Atlanta-based carrier said the decision to resume flights to Israel had been made following a “thorough review of the evolving security environment in the region.”
The statement added: “The safety and security of our customers and employees remain our top priority, and Delta will continue to monitor the situation closely in coordination with aviation authorities and government agencies.”
In March, Delta extended its pause on flights to Tel Aviv until September 2026 at the earliest due to the ongoing risk of missile and drone attacks on Israel by Iran. Delta suspended service to Tel Aviv on February 28 after the U.S. and Israel launched joint military strikes on Tehran.
Delta has not yet announced a planned resumption of flights between Atlanta and Tel Aviv, while the launch of a new service between Boston and Tel Aviv had previously been pushed back to late October at the earliest.
Last month, United Airlines announced that it will resume flights to Tel Aviv on September 8 with non-stop service from its Newark Liberty hub. Yesterday, the airline also announced that it intends to resume flights between San Francisco and Tel Aviv from March 28, 2027.
Meanwhile, American Airlines, which has not flown to Israel since the October 7, 2023, terror atrocities, has yet to announce a concrete date for when it will resume flights to Tel Aviv. In any case, the airline says flights won’t restart before early 2027.
Delta and United plan to return to Israel a full month ahead of low-cost Israeli carrier Israir launching its own flights to New York using recently acquired Airbus A330 widebody aircraft that once belonged to American Airlines.
Israir previously served the United States with non-stop flights from Israel between 2003 and 2009 but ended service due to difficult market conditions. The airline first submitted an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to return to the United States in March 2025.
At the time, Israeli flag carrier El Al had a virtual monopoly on flights between the U.S. and Israel. The carrier has been accused of price gouging given the limited options that passengers have in trying to reach Israel from the United States.
Both Delta and United are expected to enjoy high demand on flights to Israel.
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