Tel Aviv to North America record year – 2.6 million seats

United launched Chicago O’Hare to Tel Aviv in September 2020. It’ll be joined by El Al from 1 June.  United is now the second-largest carrier to Tel Aviv from North America, with a 27% share of seats and four routes.

Tel Aviv will have 12 routes to North America this year, double the number at the start of the decade. 

They have over 2.6 million seats in all – the best year to date.  Capacity is up by over one-third (36%) versus 2011 and a CAGR of 2.6%. 

El Al remains by far the largest carrier.  It has nearly 1.2 million seats this year – up by a CAGR of 3.2% – across nine routes.  Its share of capacity is broadly flat at 45%.   

Tel Aviv’s North America seats are also up by a strong 9% over pre-coronavirus 2019, the result of Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Washington starting in or since that year.

Six markets – Chicago, JFK, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington – have higher seat capacity this year versus 2019. 

Chicago was introduced by United in 2020.  El Al will join it from 1 June, with the pair offering six-weekly flights in all with three apiece.

Read more: United Airlines’ top-20 international connecting markets.

American last served Tel Aviv in 2016 from Philadelphia.  It’ll return this year with three routes:

• JFK: once-daily to Israel from 6 May with B777-200ERs

• Miami: three-weekly from 4 June using B777-200ERs

• Dallas: three-weekly from 31 October with B787s

New York – JFK and Newark – have over six in ten North America seats this year. Not surprisingly from the network growth, this is the lowest proportion for a decade. Source: OAG Schedules Analyser.

JFK will always be Tel Aviv’s top North America market

JFK to Tel Aviv has 894,000 seats scheduled this year for 35% share of total North America capacity. 

This is up by 27% – and 192,000 – over 2019, the result of American joining long-standing El Al and Delta. 

It is also because of Delta growing capacity to 362,000 seats, its second-highest year after 2011.  This summer, it’ll have 14 weekly flights, OAG data shows. Delta had 14 weekly flights for 11 weeks in 2019.  Now it’ll have it for 36 weeks.

In all, there will be up to seven daily non-stop flights from JFK to Tel Aviv this summer.  If Newark is included, that increases up to 11 daily.