United Set to Join Delta, Air France, KLM, Wizz, Aegean, Azerbaijan Airlines, and More in Reviving Tel Aviv Flights as Tourism Rebounds and International Travel to Israel Resumes: New Report

United Airlines is preparing to restart its flights to Tel Aviv, joining Delta, Air France, KLM, Wizz, Aegean, Azerbaijan Airlines, and others in reviving air service to Israel as international travel demand rebounds and tourism begins to recover following months of regional unrest. The move reflects growing confidence in the country’s improving security environment and rising interest from travelers eager to return for business, religious pilgrimage, and leisure, signaling a cautious but determined return to normalcy in one of the Middle East’s most vital travel hubs.

After months of turbulence in the skies over the Middle East, signs of recovery are finally emerging—and they’re arriving by air. United Airlines is preparing to resume its nonstop service between New York and Tel Aviv, joining a growing wave of international carriers that have either returned or are preparing to return to Israel. The move comes amid a rebound in tourism, surging travel demand, and a cautiously stabilizing security outlook in the region.

United’s announcement, set against the backdrop of a battered but determined travel sector, marks a key turning point. The airline will restart its daily Newark–Tel Aviv flights on June 5, reestablishing a critical transatlantic link that had been suspended since the October 2023 conflict. The route will be operated with a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, restoring connectivity for families, business travelers, faith-based visitors, and humanitarian workers who rely heavily on direct U.S.–Israel travel.

But United isn’t alone in this return. Over the past few weeks, the skies over Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport have gradually begun to fill again, as airlines from across Europe, Central Asia, and the U.S. cautiously resume operations. This return to service isn’t just about flight schedules—it’s about restoring a sense of normalcy and reconnecting a country that thrives on both spiritual pilgrimages and high-tech business deals.

Delta Air Lines was the first major U.S. airline to lead the way back, resuming daily service from New York-JFK on May 20 using its upgraded A330-900neo aircraft. Air France followed shortly after, bringing back its Paris–Tel Aviv route on May 27. Dutch carrier KLM will restore its Amsterdam service on June 1, while low-cost operator Wizz Air resumed flights from multiple European cities on May 15. Greek flag carrier Aegean Airlines returned to Tel Aviv on May 19, and Spain’s Air Europa beat them all by launching again on May 11.

Adding to the list are Azerbaijan Airlines, which resumed Baku–Tel Aviv flights on May 7, and AirBaltic, which will reconnect Riga and Tel Aviv starting June 6. Israel’s own Arkia Airlines had already launched a new direct New York–Tel Aviv service back in February, with a second frequency slated for this summer.

Here’s a rundown of the major international resumptions now underway:

• United Airlines – Newark to Tel Aviv – Resumes June 5, 2025
• Delta Air Lines – JFK to Tel Aviv – Resumed May 20, 2025
• Air France – Paris to Tel Aviv – Resumed May 27, 2025
• KLM – Amsterdam to Tel Aviv – Resumes June 1, 2025
• Wizz Air – Multiple EU cities – Resumed May 15, 2025
• Aegean Airlines – Athens to Tel Aviv – Resumed May 19, 2025
• Air Europa – Madrid to Tel Aviv – Resumed May 11, 2025
• Azerbaijan Airlines – Baku to Tel Aviv – Resumed May 7, 2025
• AirBaltic – Riga to Tel Aviv – Resumes June 6, 2025
• Arkia – New York to Tel Aviv – Launched February 8, 2025
• Georgian Airways, HiSky, and TUS Airways – Ongoing operations

For Israel, these resumptions couldn’t come at a more critical time. International tourism, which had plummeted in late 2023, is slowly climbing back. According to the Ministry of Tourism, May 2025 saw a double-digit uptick in hotel bookings, with Tel Aviv and Jerusalem leading the surge. Travelers are returning for religious tours, medical procedures, academic programs, and business engagements—many of which had been postponed indefinitely due to the war.

At the same time, Israel’s national tourism board has ramped up its marketing campaigns abroad, targeting North American and European travelers with messages of resilience, cultural richness, and enhanced safety protocols. Several major hotel chains have reported higher summer booking volumes compared to the same period last year, and domestic tour operators are once again expanding their offerings to include full-circle itineraries through Galilee, Masada, the Dead Sea, and Eilat.

The ripple effects are already being felt across the travel ecosystem. Ben Gurion Airport has reactivated multiple international gates, security staffing has increased, and major carriers have been coordinating closely with Israeli and international aviation authorities to ensure flight paths remain safe and uninterrupted. For many of these airlines, returning to Tel Aviv required not only route planning but also recalibrating risk models, adjusting crew layovers, and reinforcing contingency procedures.

United’s return is particularly symbolic. As one of the longest-operating U.S. carriers on the Tel Aviv route, its reentry reinforces confidence in both safety and demand. The airline has confirmed that its crews will follow enhanced safety protocols and real-time operational monitoring, with the flexibility to adjust if conditions shift.

Still, not all airlines have rejoined the fold. British Airways and the Lufthansa Group (which includes SWISS, Austrian, and Brussels Airlines) have extended their service suspensions into mid- or late June. Ryanair won’t return until at least August, and Air Canada has pushed its restart into the fall. These decisions reflect the reality that while conditions are improving, risk tolerance and logistical constraints vary widely across carriers.

Yet the broader trend is clear: after a long, uncertain pause, the aviation industry is reconnecting Tel Aviv to the world. For travelers, it means access to long-postponed reunions and long-awaited journeys. For Israel, it signals that its position as a gateway to faith, innovation, and culture is once again within reach.

And for the travel sector as a whole, it represents something even larger—the resilience of air travel, and the quiet return of hope with every arrival board that now reads “on time.”

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