Air India resume flights to Israel; Delta also considering returning before April 1st

Air India, one of the world's largest carriers, announced today (Thursday) that it will resume direct flights between Tel Aviv and New Delhi starting March 2nd. The decision follows the Gaza ceasefire and joins Lufthansa Group's announcement to gradually resume Tel Aviv flights from February 1st.

The Indian national carrier, which recently merged with Vistara, operates a combined fleet of 300 aircraft serving 55 domestic and 48 international destinations across 312 routes.

These are the airlines who have recently resumed or are planning to resume flights to Israel:

• United Airlines has resumed flights to Israel, with initial flights from New York and New Jersey starting in March, aiming for daily non-stop service from March 6
• Air France and its subsidiary Transavia have resumed flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport, with Air France flights restarting on January 25
• Lufthansa Group airlines, including Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings, are set to resume flights to Tel Aviv on February 1
• ITA Airways confirmed to return to Tel Aviv on February 1
• Air India will resume operations from March 2, 2025, with 5 weekly flights.

• British Airways and easyJet are also set to resume flights to Israel after a ceasefire.

Delta Air Lines was set to resume flights to Israel in April, but they are reportedly now considering an early return to Israeli airspace ahead of its planned April 1 restart, sources tell Globes. The move follows European carriers like Air France and British Airways resuming service after Sunday's Gaza ceasefire.

Before October 7, U.S. airlines operated 55 weekly flights to Israel. Delta ran seventeen weekly flights each from New York and Atlanta to Tel Aviv, plus three Boston connections. While briefly resuming New York-Tel Aviv routes in May 2024, Delta suspended service again in August amid Hezbollah tensions. United Airlines has shown similar stop-start patterns, while American Airlines remains grounded.

Travelers face premium pricing for Delta's return. April round-trips between New York and Tel Aviv start at $1,943, compared to El Al's $1,290. Delta's fares consistently top $1,800, reaching $2,278 on some dates.

This marks another step in Israel's aviation market recovery after recent flight restrictions due to regional conflicts.

Jewish Breaking News contributed to this article.