United Plans To Restart Flights From Newark To Tel Aviv, Israel

NEWARK, NJ — United Airlines plans to resume a daily flight from New York/Newark to Tel Aviv in Israel, the company announced Wednesday.

Airlines across the United States suspended flights to Israel after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, including United, which maintains a hub in Newark.

However, the Chicago-based airline says it is now ready to restart daily flights to Tel Aviv – which would make it the first American carrier to resume direct service after the attack. See Related: People Fleeing Israel Arrive At Newark Airport After Harrowing Journey

According to United, the move will be the first step toward restoring the vital passenger and cargo service that was suspended in October.

Here’s what to know, the airline said:

“The initial Newark-Tel Aviv flights on March 2 and 4 will stop in Munich to ensure all service providers are ready to support non-stop service to and from Newark. No Newark departures to Tel Aviv are planned for March 3 and 5. Our goal is to resume daily nonstop service to Tel Aviv beginning March 6.”

United spokespeople said the airline conducted a detailed safety analysis before making the decision to resume flights, 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,” United said.

United said it will continue to monitor the situation in Tel Aviv and “adjust the schedule as warranted,” which may include putting the brakes back on service from New York/Newark to Israel.

“We're eager to resume a second daily Tel Aviv flight from Newark as soon as May as travel demand recovers,” the airline said.

Flights from San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Chicago will be evaluated for resumption beginning in the fall, United added.

The U.S. State Department continues to warn residents to “reconsider” travel to Israel and the West Bank due to “terrorism and civil unrest.” U.S. residents are being told not to travel to Gaza.

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