United Airlines said that it will begin flights again in March, this time from the United States to Israel.
Following the terror attack by Hamas on October 7 and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, United is the first major US airline to start flights again to Israel.
According to United, there will be some connecting flights from Newark and New York on March 2 and 4, with daily non-stop service expected to start on March 6.
“United conducted a detailed safety analysis in making this decision, including close work with security experts and government officials in the United States and Israel. We also worked closely with the Air Line Pilots Association and the Association of Flight Attendants to develop the protocols to ensure they are safe and well-informed,” the airline said in a statement.
As early as May, the airline intends to launch a second daily service from Newark, and it may grow from there.
According to a United statement, “Previous flying from San Francisco, Washington Dulles and Chicago O’Hare will be evaluated for resumption beginning in the fall.”
Following a flurry of similar announcements from European carriers, including Lufthansa (together with Austrian carriers and SWISS, which are owned by Lufthansa), Air France, and Polish airline LOT, United has decided to resume flights to Tel Aviv.
Other major U.S. airlines that served Israel in the past, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, have not yet resumed service. However, Delta Air Lines announced last month that it could resume service in the spring.