United Airlines resumes flights to Israel

United Airlines has resumed its service to Israel, becoming the first US carrier to do so since flights were suspended due to the Israel-Hamas war.

The airline restarted daily flights from Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday afternoon, with the return flight departing from Ben-Gurion International Airport on Sunday morning, according to JNS.

A second daily flight is set to be reinstated on March 29, featuring nighttime departures.

Before the outbreak of the war, United operated more flights to Israel than any other US airline, offering 14 weekly flights from the New York area, along with service from Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The airline previously stated that it would evaluate demand before resuming additional flights.

Another US carrier, Delta Air Lines, has also announced plans to resume service to Israel from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in April. The decision by both airlines comes ahead of the busy Passover and Easter travel season, when flights to and from Israel are typically in high demand.

American Airlines has yet to announce when it will resume flights to Israel.

Many international airlines paused their flights to Israel as a result of the war, though several of them have since restored service.

Air France announced in January it will resume operations to Israel, offering seven weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Paris.

Ryanair recently started selling tickets for flights to and from Tel Aviv, covering several destinations.

Its announcement about the resumption of flights to Israel followed a decision by its rival low-cost carrier, Hungarian Wizz Air, to expand its flight offerings to Tel Aviv starting January 15.