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United Resuming Nj-tel Aviv Flights, First US Airline Return To Israel Since Ceasefire

Flights on United Airlines between Newark and Tel Aviv will return after a ceasefire deal was reached in the Israel-Hamas war.

A United Airlines flight.

A United Airlines flight.

Photo Credit: United Airlines

United Airlines will restart its nonstop service between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), the company said in a news release on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The first daily flight will take off on Saturday, Mar. 15, and a second one is planned for Saturday, Mar. 29.

The move comes after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas officially went into effect on Sunday, Jan. 19. In the deal, Hamas agreed to release all Israeli hostages in Gaza while Israel agreed to free at least 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, the BBC reported.

United, which will use Boeing 787-10s for the route, is the first US airline to resume service to Tel Aviv in 2025. The decision followed an assessment of regional conditions and input from flight attendant and pilot unions, the airline said.

Gov. Phil Murphy welcomed the move, citing the disruption to travel caused by the war that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians after the Hamas-led terror attacks on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.

"Last week, I spoke with airline leadership following my meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog about the negative impact caused by the lack of flights," the governor said in a statement. "Israel remains a critical ally and economic partner to our state. This important move eases travel difficulties for businesses, the Jewish community, and many others in New Jersey and will allow families to travel to see loved ones or host them in time for the Passover holiday."

Delta Air Lines has also announced plans to resume its flights from New York City to Tel Aviv. Delta's daily nonstop service at John F. Kennedy International Airport will start back up on Saturday, Apr. 1.

United, which offers connections to Tel Aviv through Lufthansa Group airlines, said it would evaluate adding more flights based on demand.

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