Delta Air Lines announced Wednesday that it will resume daily nonstop service between New York and Tel Aviv in early September, restoring a major US-Israel air route following a review of security conditions in the region.
The airline said its first flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport will depart on September 6 and land in Israel the following morning. Service from Tel Aviv back to New York will begin September 7, with the flight scheduled to arrive at JFK later that day. Delta plans to use Airbus A330-900neo aircraft for the daily route.
“The resumption of service follows a thorough review of the evolving security environment in the region. 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. Customers are encouraged to check delta.com and the Delta app for the latest flight updates and travel information,” the airline said.
The announcement reverses Delta’s earlier plans to remain out of Israel through September. In March, the carrier said it was suspending flights to Israel through that period based on its assessment of regional security concerns, stressing at the time that protecting passengers and employees was its overriding priority.
Delta had also planned to launch a new route connecting Boston and Tel Aviv in late October, but the airline subsequently postponed the introduction of that service indefinitely.
The carrier was one of many foreign airlines to suspend service to Israel as security concerns repeatedly disrupted international aviation in recent years. More recently, however, signs of a broader recovery have emerged at Ben Gurion Airport, with several international airlines moving to restore or increase their Israel schedules.
United Airlines earlier this month announced that it plans to resume service between Newark Liberty International Airport and Ben Gurion Airport on September 8. United said it intends to operate two flights each day on the Newark-Tel Aviv route.
{Matzav.com}
