NEW YORK, United States: United Airlines has announced it will resume flights to Israel next month, becoming the first US carrier to bring back flights since last fall’s suspensions with the outbreak of Gaza war.
The airliner plans initial flights to Tel Aviv from its New York-area hub in Newark, New Jersey on March 2 and 4, with a target of having daily non-stop service restored from March 6.
“United conducted a detailed safety analysis in making this decision, including close work with security experts and government officials in the United States and Israel,” a news release issued by the US carrier said.
“United will continue to monitor the situation in Tel Aviv and adjust the schedule as warranted,” the company said further.
United Airlines added that it hopes to resume a second flight from Newark in early May and will consider resuming flights to San Francisco, Washington and Chicago in early fall.
United Airlines and its American rivals, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, suspended flights to Israel following the October 7 attack by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Referring to a Jan. 19 statement that the airline was canceling flights to Tel Aviv until April 30, a Delta spokesman told AFP that the airline was “continually monitoring the security situation” in the region.
Other companies that have resumed flights to Israel include British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and Ryanair.
