American Airlines is not expected to resume flights to Tel Aviv before Jan. 5, 2027, against the backdrop of ongoing security tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty over the possibility of reaching a sustainable ceasefire agreement with Iran.
The extension until the beginning of next year means the airline will not have served Israel for three years and three months in a row by the time flights actually resume.
US airlines returning to Israel?
American Airlines first suspended its flights on the New York (JFK) to Tel Aviv route on Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel. While Delta and United Airlines both tried to resume flights to Tel Aviv over the next two years, American refused even to consider returning to Israel before a long-term peace agreement with Hamas was reached.
In October 2025, it appeared that American was finally preparing to resume flights to Tel Aviv, following a personal appeal by Transportation Minister Miri Regev during a meeting with senior company executives as part of a visit to the US.
Flights were supposed to resume at the end of March 2026, but in late February, the joint US and Israeli military offensive against Iran began, upending the situation and completely disrupting the airline's plans. As of now, neither Delta nor United Airlines has returned to flying to Tel Aviv.
Delta plans to resume flights from New York (JFK) to Tel Aviv on Sept. 6. The new route planned between Boston and Tel Aviv has been suspended until further notice. The route from Atlanta is expected to launch in November.
United Airlines currently plans to resume its flights to both Tel Aviv and Dubai on Sept. 7, 2026.
A cautious approach
American is taking a much more cautious approach than Delta or United. The company has long faced criticism over its highly conservative attitude toward international expansion, especially as United continues adding more and more global destinations.
What is surprising is that Tel Aviv is considered a destination with guaranteed profitability, so American Airlines might have been expected to take a much more aggressive position in its efforts to resume flights there.
When are other airlines returning to Israel?
Wizz Air: May 27
Air France: May 28
LOT: May 31
Lufthansa Group: Gradual return from June
Air Europa: June 2
KLM: June 28
Iberia: June 30
Air India: July 1
ITA: July 1
British Airways: July 1
SAS: July 2
Transavia: July 6
