United Removes Israel from Flight Schedule, Delta Extends Pause to Tel Aviv

09.08.2024 - 16:53 / travelandleisure.com / John F.Kennedy

Delta Air Lines extended its pause on flights to Israel and United Airlines removed the flights from its schedule as tensions in the region continue to escalate.

Delta, which first paused flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) last week, extended that moratorium through the end of August. Sales of these flights are also suspended, according to the airline.

Delta said it issued a travel waiver for customers who booked travel to or from Tel Aviv before Sept. 10.

The airline said in a statement it was “continuously monitoring the evolving security environment and assessing our operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports.”

United Airlines similarly suspended flights to Israel last week, pausing service between its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Tel Aviv. On Thursday, the airline said it removed the Tel Aviv flights from its schedule, Reuters reported. Previously, they were available to book starting Sept. 1. 

«Our flights to Tel Aviv remain suspended – we look forward to resuming flights as soon as it’s safe for our customers and crew,» the airline said in a statement to Travel + Leisure. Customers who have already booked flights can get refunds or can be rebooked on United flights to any city in Europe or the Middle East.

Both Delta and United had initially stopped flying to the city in October after Israel declared war on Hamas following a violent invasion of the country's borders and an ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, but each had resumed traveling there in the spring and summer.

The extended suspensions now come amid rising tensions and fears of a broader conflict in the region. As a result, several international airlines also recently paused flights to the area, the Washington Post reported, including The Lufthansa Group (made up of Lufthansa Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, and others), which temporarily canceled flights to Amman, Jordan, and Irbil in northern Iraq earlier this week; and Air India, which temporarily canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv.

In its official advisory, the U.S. Department of State recommends travelers “reconsider travel” to Israel “due to terrorism and civil unrest” and not travel to northern Israel within 2.5 miles of the Lebanese and Syrian borders.

“The security situation remains unpredictable, and U.S. citizens are reminded to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as security incidents, including mortar and rocket fire, often take place without warning,” the department wrote in its advisory.