United Airlines said on Wednesday that it’s resuming daily flights between New York/Newark to Tel Aviv, becoming the first U.S. airline to do so since Israel declared war on Hamas in Gaza last October.
The airline said the first flights between Newark and Tel Aviv will start on March 2 and 4, and will make a stop in Munich, Germany “to ensure all service providers are ready to support non-stop service to and from Newark.” Meanwhile, there are no flights planned from Newark to Tel Aviv on March 3 and 5. United said its goal is to resume daily direct flights to Tel Aviv starting March 6.
Multiple airlines, including American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, suspended flights to Israel in October after its government formally declared war and announced military action against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. International airlines also suspended flights to Israel after the declaration of war, including Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong and Germany’s Lufthansa.
United said it “conducted a detailed safety analysis in making” its decision to resume flights to Israel, which continues carrying out bombardments in Gaza in retaliation of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The airline said it worked closely with security experts and government officials in the U.S. and Israel to make the decision, and has worked on developing safety protocols with the Air Line Pilots Association and the Association of Flight Attendants.
“United will continue to monitor the situation in Tel Aviv and adjust the schedule as warranted, including changes to the resumed service from New York/Newark announced today,” the airline said.
The airline said it plans to resume a second daily flight from Newark to Tel Aviv in May, and is evaluating resuming flights in the fall from San Francisco, Washington Dulles, and Chicago O’Hare.