In October 2023, we saw most international airlines discontinue flights to Israel over safety concerns, in light of the conflict. While EL AL has operated continuously to and from Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, most foreign airlines haven’t.
We’re slowly seeing international airlines resume flights to Israel. A couple of weeks ago, United became the first US airline to resume Israel flights, and now a second airline has revealed plans to resume this service.
In this post:
Delta will resume New York to Tel Aviv route in June 2024
Delta has announced that it will resume daily flights between New York (JFK) and Tel Aviv (TLV) as of June 7, 2024. The route will be operated with the following schedule:
DL234 New York to Tel Aviv departing 11:40PM arriving 5:35PM (+1 day)
DL235 Tel Aviv to New York departing 11:55PM arriving 5:10AM (+1 day)
The 5,677-mile flight is blocked at 10hr55min eastbound and 12hr15min westbound. Delta will use an Airbus A330-900neos for the route, featuring 281 seats, comprised of 29 business class seats, 28 premium economy seats, 56 extra legroom economy seats, and 168 economy seats.
Delta claims that the decision to resume Israel lights follows an extensive security risk assessment, and that the company continues to closely monitor the situation in Israel in conjunction with government and private-sector partners.
It’s worth noting that up until now, Delta had actually been selling its Israel flights for travel as of May 1. But that seemed to be more of a placeholder resumption date for this service, rather than a firm plan. Meanwhile the airline is now formally claiming this service will launch in June.
To be honest, I’m a bit confused by the way that Delta is going about resuming this service. It goes without saying that demand between the United States and Israel is there, and United’s route is currently performing incredibly well.
The way United went about resuming service made sense to me — the airline did a security assessment, and then made preparations to launch service within a couple of weeks. Meanwhile Delta claims to have done a security assessment, and now plans to resume service in about three months.
Is Delta not resuming service to Israel sooner because it doesn’t have the available aircraft, because it doesn’t think the demand is there, because it doesn’t think it’s safe, or what?
Delta & EL AL have an intriguing partnership
With Delta resuming flights to Israel, I can’t help but point out an interesting development we saw last year. In June 2023, Delta and EL AL announced a new strategic partnership. Of course the timing of that wasn’t great, since it was supposed to launch in late 2023, around the same time that Delta pulled out of Israel.
As we see more airlines returning to Israel, I’m very curious to see what this partnership looks like in practice, and how Delta evolves its Israel route network in light of this.
Historically, Delta has been heavily focused on joint venture partners and airlines that it invests in, so I wonder if we could see more ties between the two airlines. The partnership between Delta and EL AL has come in handy in recent months, given that EL AL has been the only airline flying between the two countries.
It’s possible that we don’t actually see a whole lot more, and that Delta has simply decided that this is the best way to compete with United in Israel, as United has historically been by far the biggest US carrier in Israel.
Bottom line
Delta has announced plans to resume daily flights between New York and Tel Aviv as of June 2024. Delta is the second US airline to announce plans to bring back these flights, as United has resumed Israel flights as of March 2024. I do find the amount of notice being provided here to be curious, and I wonder why Delta is only launching these flights in three months.
What do you make of Delta resuming flights to Israel?
the main issue airlines have with long haul flights to Israel is with crew.
North America flights to Tel Aviv used to require that the crew stays in Tel Aviv for 1-2 nights to recover from the long flight. This is currently a challenge as crews are not keen on staying in tel aviv, and also many hotels are fully booked with people evacuated from conflict areas.
If I understand correctly, BA is...
the main issue airlines have with long haul flights to Israel is with crew.
North America flights to Tel Aviv used to require that the crew stays in Tel Aviv for 1-2 nights to recover from the long flight. This is currently a challenge as crews are not keen on staying in tel aviv, and also many hotels are fully booked with people evacuated from conflict areas.
If I understand correctly, BA is having a super quick stop in Cyprus for a crew change, I am assuming Delta is working on its own solution.
I am confused.
There was nothing in the post that questioned Tim, only questioning the rationale for DL's timing to restart service....and several other good questions about other potential considerations...yet he thinks any DL related post is intended to provoke him?
That's very indicative of narcissism.
But, as with any narcissist, he is incapable of recognizing it.
Also, he's good with facts. Mostly, but not always (he has made errors), as he sometimes...
I am confused.
There was nothing in the post that questioned Tim, only questioning the rationale for DL's timing to restart service....and several other good questions about other potential considerations...yet he thinks any DL related post is intended to provoke him?
That's very indicative of narcissism.
But, as with any narcissist, he is incapable of recognizing it.
Also, he's good with facts. Mostly, but not always (he has made errors), as he sometimes speculates...that's fine, speculation is actually an incubator for analysis.
But he doesn't respond well to alternative analysis (and sometimes even the actual facts).
All of this does not justify the ad hominin attacks against him...
...but that's life on the internet...sadly.
you are clueless.
Ben jumped in 6 minutes after I replied to tout "this is what you said" on some other day in the past.
You wouldn't understand human behavior if it hit you up the side of the head because of your bias.
Yes, sadly, we do have to put up w/ people on the internet that stick their nose into stuff they don't understand
and you CONFIRM once again that you are incapable of contributing to the discussion and focus instead on me.
Delulu Dunn gonna delulu… It’s so funny to watch him argue with every single person with paragraph responses. You can easily see he uses Chat GPT. The only person that comments “Tim is very informative” is Tim Dunn under a different account.
I know it's fun to troll Tim, but the framing of this is odd?
Just because DL has a different resume date for this route from UA isn't that significant? Different analysis of the conflict in Gaza will have different projections. Why is it that weird?
most significantly, "as soon as possible" can include a whole lot of other factors than just the security situation in Israel/Gaza esp. given that the US government, not any US carrier, provides the greatest input on global security situations and how US airlines can operate
We've got the Zionists vs Jihadists and Mr. Dunn vs the ones who hate him. What a chaos.
It is amusing to see some people here believe "The Jews" control the world. lol. Lots of successful Jews in the world and many non-Jews... but this "they control the world" stuff sure is amusing that someone could be that deluded to say that in public.
But I will say the typical fanboy Tim Dunn idiocy and responses to him are more amusing and on topic than whether Delta is aiding the zionists in taking over the world.
@Plane jane
I might be deluded, but I'm not as deluded as Zionists who see genocide as a self-defense.
as is typical around here, other than credit card articles which no one responds to, the discussion is more about me than the topic - and people confirm they find pleasure in the spectacle.
Ben knew exactly what he was doing with his article; he wanted a response and replied precisely 6 minutes after I posted.
Either he allows me to live rent free in his head just like alot of other people do...
as is typical around here, other than credit card articles which no one responds to, the discussion is more about me than the topic - and people confirm they find pleasure in the spectacle.
Ben knew exactly what he was doing with his article; he wanted a response and replied precisely 6 minutes after I posted.
Either he allows me to live rent free in his head just like alot of other people do or he is solely interested in creating page clicks in order to generate ad revenue.
It isn't hard to figure out other people but it is harder to figure out Ben's motives.
He could well be motivated by the same "I'll prove him wrong" that so many others are motivated by or he just wants to get rid off of other people's behaviors.
I come to this site because he provides news and perspectives that others don't. Thankfully, his stories fall off the front page after about a day if he isn't traveling.
The notion that anyone should just leave the site if they have a criticism of the content or even the writer comes from a narrowly me-centered world and is not the basis for internet chat forums, whatever the topic.
Can we PLEASE just leave me out of this discussion and discuss the merits of Delta's returning service without trying to manufacture some reason which at least two other readers said is immaterial and was done solely to incite a response?
You are on your own, JP, with fixing the other chasm.
@Tim Dunn "the discussion is more about me than the topic" that's true - I'm a kind of person who don't really care about who says something, I care about what has been spoken out, so I can't really stand with this discussion going on against you. I don't know what to say about the others tho.
"the discussion is more about me than the topic"
Well, when you troll and shill for Delta this hard, you will eventually become part of the topic...
Hi, Tim. Your posts are interesting. I fly for American. Do you work in the airline industry? I fly for American. Regards. Chris
I do not work in the aviation or airline industries.
When did you retire?
I think it’s great news all the way around, that DL is resuming TLV flights. To whom do they owe an explanation as to their chosen start date? It’s been posted and it’s good news. Now we’ll wait and see when BOS and ATL come back in line. I wish DL well. I used their services to/from TLV out of ATL and JFK and hope to get back to Israel soon.
Anyone that wants to understand why United ALWAYS has to be the first, biggest, serve the most destinations need only listen to or read the transcripts from any of several airline presentations at the JP Morgan investor conference several days ago. You can find the transcripts on most of the large US airline investor sites or find all that presented on sites such as Seeking Alpha.
Here is what Scott Kirby said during UA's session.
...Anyone that wants to understand why United ALWAYS has to be the first, biggest, serve the most destinations need only listen to or read the transcripts from any of several airline presentations at the JP Morgan investor conference several days ago. You can find the transcripts on most of the large US airline investor sites or find all that presented on sites such as Seeking Alpha.
Here is what Scott Kirby said during UA's session.
- "I am the only airline CEO that has read and reads every airline quarterly financial release and the earnings call. I learn lots from that information."
* really, Scott. Do you ask other people what information they read just so you can brag about you being the most educated, most devoted?
- "AA has two great hubs at CLT and DFW and that is where large portions of their revenue goes through but those hubs work best for regional jets flying to small cities. That is not something that UA attains to (paraphrase). Oh, and **I** was responsible for building those hubs.
* and you do realize that AA decided to end your multi-airline career because you are all about you and aren't a team player? And you are responsible for some of the worst strategic errors in airline history - like giving DL one-quarter of LGA's slots for $60 million net-net. And you kept running up AA's debt w/ aircraft purchases which they are still trying to extricate themselves from that debt but you somehow think UA will end up differently than AA even though UA is spending far more on aircraft than AA ever did.
- "I have to give credit to Delta for recognizing the value of premium demand and building an airline that goes after that. They have created the business model we want to go after."
- of course Delta has provided the model you want to copy. Are you incapable of just doing what is good for United instead of comparing to anyone including the ultra low cost carriers that you think UA will be able to eliminate - and yet copy the same aircraft/engine purchases that is what put them in trouble - even though you think it is pioneering stuff like eliminating change fees (which WN never had so you didn't pioneer anything?) and to the people here that are convinced Delta gets a revenue premium because it monopolizes its hubs, Scott Kirby has never used that as a reason.
Scott Kirby is a deeply insecure person that finds his personal satisfaction in "winning" in a game that only he is running.
No one cares whether you beat someone else back to a war-torn market by 6, 8 or 10 weeks.
No one but a bunch of avgeeks care whether you fly to X more cities worldwide. Customers don't base their purchase decisions on the number of cities served but rather whether an airline goes where they want to go. No one cares if you fly the most ASMs - which you fail to mention means UA burns more jet fuel and spews more pollutants into the atmosphere and still generates less revenue or that your fleet is 7% less fuel efficient than the airline you love to compare yours to.
The reason UA fans are so obnoxious is because they follow the company of UA's CEO.
Listen to DL's CEO and execs on the same JPM conference and here how many times that they respond to questions by Jamie Baker for DL to compare itself to other airlines and they REPEATEDLY say "we can only tell you about DL."
Delta knows it is at the top of the industry and doesn't need to try to make meaningless claims just to get attention or convince anyone that DL's execs are the smartest, most well-read, or have made the best strategic decisions.
UA's fankids follow their leader even while UA's CEO follows DL. DL's leaders compare their performance to the best run nameless companies in the world.
For those that hate the endless comparisons between UA and DL, look no further than Scott Kirby - and OMAAT.
This comment and the subsequent replies should provide some well-earned page clicks for Ben and, perhaps, some better understanding of what motivates people in the US and global airline industry.
lmao. I'm sure Scott Kirby is deeply worried about your perception of him, Tim. He's turned around the perception, reputation, and profits of United. Oscar had no strategy to speak of before Scott arrived aside from higher costs.
What a moron. Your massive insecurities manifest in the strangest ways. The fact that you wake up first thing in the morning to write paragraphs on a blog post, attack the writer, and others speaks volumes to...
lmao. I'm sure Scott Kirby is deeply worried about your perception of him, Tim. He's turned around the perception, reputation, and profits of United. Oscar had no strategy to speak of before Scott arrived aside from higher costs.
What a moron. Your massive insecurities manifest in the strangest ways. The fact that you wake up first thing in the morning to write paragraphs on a blog post, attack the writer, and others speaks volumes to your own life.
I don't always agree with Lucky nor would he expect anyone would agree but he's FAAAAR more successful in his aviation writing than you are, Tim. Show some deference to a CEO that has made many many millions from NOTHING turning around US, AA, and UA.
Then just show some plain decency to the owner of an aviation site that you alone visit hundreds of times a week alone to say nothing of the overall success of his blog, absent Tim Dunn.
you are worried about perception but you can't see the problem with A PUBLIC BUSINESS LEADER bragging that he reads more financial statements than anyone else?
Ben wants page clicks.
Common decency would have been to simply say that DL is returning to TLV on X date rather than manufacture some security nonsense.
US airlines do what the US government tells them to do. The US government can and does put the lines about what...
you are worried about perception but you can't see the problem with A PUBLIC BUSINESS LEADER bragging that he reads more financial statements than anyone else?
Ben wants page clicks.
Common decency would have been to simply say that DL is returning to TLV on X date rather than manufacture some security nonsense.
US airlines do what the US government tells them to do. The US government can and does put the lines about what US airlines can do.
UA"s security assessment is minor in comparison and, more importantly, has little if anything to do when any US airline starts service.
Feel free to turn yet another article into one about me, Max.
You are the one that isn't smart enough to realize that people like you (and Ben) get what you create. Ben just benefits from more page clicks.
You appear to be having an amazing day already in your own fantasy world. Enjoy, Tim.
Just don't be nasty. It's an aviation website article about JFK-TLV service, not an article attacking your mother. Try not to get so hurt and reactionary to literally EVERYTHING.
Do yourself a favor and see if you can not post for, at least, 4 hours today. It will do wonders for your mental health.
funny for someone that is worried about me making so many visits just made two posts within 11 minutes of each other
Ben is a big boy. He can defend himself. He sure doesn't need you.
He knew exactly what he was doing when he wrote what he wrote. Someone said this would get the comments section wound up and they were right.
As usual, you aren't smart enough to know when to get...
funny for someone that is worried about me making so many visits just made two posts within 11 minutes of each other
Ben is a big boy. He can defend himself. He sure doesn't need you.
He knew exactly what he was doing when he wrote what he wrote. Someone said this would get the comments section wound up and they were right.
As usual, you aren't smart enough to know when to get off the bandwagon and will turn yet another discussion into one about me.
Seriously, Max, you haven't addressed the issue about DL and JFK to TLV ONCE.
You're not interested in the topic any more than you are in any topic. It either goes over your head or you are consumed by whatever rage you have for some anonymous person on the internet.
Others have said it:. Click on what I write or just go past it. It's really not that difficult.
lol. Enjoy your day. Thanks for the laugh this morning. Your personal attacks on others betray your own insecurities but are certainly wildly entertaining.
And yeah... I didn't address your nonsense about DL and JFK-TLV because you don't even have a point. It was simply a dumb rant on Lucky and then, weirdly, Scott Kirby. lol
3 posts in 30 minutes and you are worried about how much anyone else posts?
You have made every contribution (if we can it that) you have made about me - to no one's surprise.
If you really don't want to read what I write, then you clearly have no concept of human behavior - or are driven by your insatiable need - just like Scott Kirby - to keep YOURSELF in the minds of other people rather than discussing the topic.
You can post as much as you want, tim. I simply suggested you challenge yourself to not post for four hours since you can’t seem to control your behavior or actions.
And “ are driven by your insatiable need to keep YOURSELF in the minds of other people“
How funny that the guy who spends all day commenting on articles would say this about someone else…
Get a life and some mental help....
You can post as much as you want, tim. I simply suggested you challenge yourself to not post for four hours since you can’t seem to control your behavior or actions.
And “ are driven by your insatiable need to keep YOURSELF in the minds of other people“
How funny that the guy who spends all day commenting on articles would say this about someone else…
Get a life and some mental help. I use a nom de plume, just like you. I could care less if anyone thinks “MaxPower” is anyone’s mind. It’s pretty obviously always in yours since you always reply in your normal, nasty way asap to me. ;)
It’s so nice to have such rapport with you ;)
But seriously, try to see if you can walk away from your computer and basement long enough to not comment for four hours.
so you hypocritically do something which you are asking someone else not to do?
You are so easy to play
lol. You really are too easy to rile up. Just can’t do four hours, can you?
Haven't really thought about it much before, but seems to be true.... I'm sorta surprised Oscar lasted as long as he did, at UA.
Want to say that sympathy for his medical condition may have played a role, but corporations/shareholders aren't that sentimental. So, yeah, sorta baffling.
Oscar's strategy was as much as peacemaker and to unify a company that was deeply damaged and customer unfriendly.
You can't put a price on what Oscar accomplished but it also was a short-term role.
Shameful. No airline should be flying to Israel, just like how companies with any moral compass boycotted South Africa during Apartheid.
What do you expect when the whole world is controlled by them. It sucks but it's the truth.
Here come the loser antisemites.
@Am Yiz
Ah yes, criticising a country/ethnicity is racism. Typical liberal logic. And no - regardless of how my life actually is, mine's better than the Zionists who just do whatever Israhell tell you to dos life. I think freely rather than only thinking about what you've been told to do so.
I’m not a liberal. And you’re resentful because you’re a loser who outsources his own shortcomings to Jews. You sound like a woke leftist.
You are clearly in need of immediate psychiatric assistance. When you say "What do you expect when the whole world is controlled by them", I can only assume you're referring to Arabs, this being an aviation blog? Look not only at how much of international traffic the ME3 control but also Qatar's stake in IAG. I expect that there are other instances.
I'm embarrassed for you.
LOLOL TZ....Have you ever even been to Israel??? Judging by your post probably not. There is no "apartheid" in Israel and there is no more racism in Israel than any other Western democracy. Enough with posting this garbage and go make a visit there for yourself so you can generate your own opinions instead of the Islamist propaganda that is shoved down the Western world's throat...
I'm embarrassed for you.
"There is no "apartheid" in Israel"
Not true.
were you ever there? I was, arabs live comfortably and secure!
LMAO. Shameful is you spreading lies to satisfy your bloodlust towards jewish people. Good people don't buy the terrorist's narrative and see Israel for what it is- a country defending itself against genocidal barbarians. Cope harder
I agree. Leaders such as Netanyahu, Smortich and Ben-Gvir are terrorists and genocidal barbarians. Inflicting unnecessary harm on Palestinians and Israelis.
Is this an April fools article or just a post from one - or someone looking to create page clicks?
You and
The way United went about resuming service made sense to me — the airline did a security assessment, and then made preparations to launch service within a couple of weeks. Meanwhile Delta claims to have done a security assessment, and now plans to resume service in about three months.
the REAL...
Is this an April fools article or just a post from one - or someone looking to create page clicks?
You and
The way United went about resuming service made sense to me — the airline did a security assessment, and then made preparations to launch service within a couple of weeks. Meanwhile Delta claims to have done a security assessment, and now plans to resume service in about three months.
the REAL reason is because United does not have a partnership with El Al which Delta does... a relationship which will turn into a JV between DL and LY
@ Tim Dunn -- Allow me to quote you on a comment you left on a previous post:
"DL, like UA, will restart NYC-TLV as soon as they can."
So the question stands, why can't DL resume service to Israel yet, while UA can? DL has just delayed its reintroduction of service to Israel by over a month compared to the previous schedule. This is exactly the question I posed in the story. You...
@ Tim Dunn -- Allow me to quote you on a comment you left on a previous post:
"DL, like UA, will restart NYC-TLV as soon as they can."
So the question stands, why can't DL resume service to Israel yet, while UA can? DL has just delayed its reintroduction of service to Israel by over a month compared to the previous schedule. This is exactly the question I posed in the story. You didn't say "DL will resume Israel flights at some point in the future, but is in no rush due to the LY partnership."
Tim, you're entitled to your opinion, but I'm not sure why you always have to frame things as everyone else being an idiot, when you can't even maintain a consistent narrative. I wrote a reasonable story that you're welcome to disagree with. Suggesting that this sounds like an April Fools' post is rude and unnecessary.
He has stock in Delta, so he has a vested interest in PRing them?
I also have stock in multiple other airlines including UAL in various times.
I gave a BUY recommendation to UAL just 10 weeks ago and have since converted it to a HOLD on lower capacity.
No, Ben, my response isn't rude any more than your original comment is journalistically accurate esp. when you want to throw in security.
There are many reasons why Delta might choose a date that is "as soon as possible"...
I also have stock in multiple other airlines including UAL in various times.
I gave a BUY recommendation to UAL just 10 weeks ago and have since converted it to a HOLD on lower capacity.
No, Ben, my response isn't rude any more than your original comment is journalistically accurate esp. when you want to throw in security.
There are many reasons why Delta might choose a date that is "as soon as possible" that doesn't align with what United does.
Let's face it - you love page clicks and your comments simply start a process that others fall for. You do it differently than others and I respect that but any notion that you "accurately report the news" and leave your readers to discuss it accurately is purely a dream
But I love that you respond to me and include me (at times) in your original articles or comments; not many of your readers are in that thin air.
To be clear - whether or not the original article/comment is journalistically accurate is irrelevant to the point on whether your comment posted had to be rude. Not sure why a comparison on that front would hold any water, since to my knowledge no rudeness in response to journalistic accuracy scale exists.
Even if the entire article was simply posted to generate page clicks (and to be clear I don't think it was) while triggering...
To be clear - whether or not the original article/comment is journalistically accurate is irrelevant to the point on whether your comment posted had to be rude. Not sure why a comparison on that front would hold any water, since to my knowledge no rudeness in response to journalistic accuracy scale exists.
Even if the entire article was simply posted to generate page clicks (and to be clear I don't think it was) while triggering you into a response; which based off historical posts of that nature would then trigger significant engagement in the comment section (and to be clear, I still don't think it was). It would still be worth you potentially examining the fact that not everyone is out to get you and it is in fact possible for your points to be made in a logically and polite manner.
Based off your knowledge of the subject matter and industry I have complete confidence that without the following that you posted "Is this an April fools article or just a post from one - or someone looking to create page clicks?" (which is most definitely rude even if you don't think it is) you could still have made your point to Ben just as well (and probably better to be honest) than you actually did.
Something to think about - since if the roles were reversed and it was Ben responding to you in that manner I'm not sure everyone would be giving him a pass on it.
define rude. Who said social media whether here or anywhere is "nice?"
Ben knew what he was doing when he wrote what he did.
The fact that he composes stories with me in his head tells you volumes.
@Tim Dunn Seriously dude?? If you don't like the blog than just do us all a favor and stop reading it. No one is forcing you to read it.
"If you don't like the blog than just do us all a favor and stop reading it"
Delta stock! And maybe he also gets paid to defend them online too.
Ben. I fly for an airline. And this is the only travel site that I follow. Yet it’s getting really really toxic. Please do something. Thank you. Chris
TLDR; Puts on DL.
since you broke the financial discussion barrier that so many around here don't want to address, can you walk us through your reasons for thinking there is NOT stock appreciation growth in an airline that has the highest Wall Street analyst rating and also higher than well-respected foreign airlines with US ADRs such as Copa and Ryanair?
DAL has a Wall Street price target with 24% upside. if you want to think you will make money against those experts, go for it.
Expecting some war in this comment section soon. Idgaf, say whaever you believe and no people with right mindset will care about you critising/defending either sides.
The situation normalizes in Israel???