Bystanders Surprised to Learn It Ceased in the First Place

United Airlines said it will restore daily nonstop passenger and cargo service to Tel Aviv, Israel on March 2nd, after suspending all flights since October 2023.

It comes as a mild surprise to some, who assumed things had been continuing on as usual even with the nearby hubbub. El Al must have been enjoying the last few months, with the Israeli flag carrier enjoying some time in the sun with American rivals out of the way for a while. In October, a trio of American legacies suspended service almost simultaneously, with United, American Airlines, and Delta pulling out due to what they saw as increased risk of harm to man & metal. Now, United says it has conducted a "detailed safety analysis in making this decision, including close work with security experts and government officials in the United States and Israel." The company "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" before going ahead with a sort of soft-launch back into the country. 

El Al will continue to be the only carrier in town with some nifty anti-missile countermeasures installed on its jets, though - United will rely on "monitoring the situation" instead of an expensive outlay on protective tech. Should the threat matrix shift, United hints that it can move things forward or back as needed. Most likely, the New York and Newark service will be followed by flights from San Francisco, Washington Dulles and Chicago O'Hare beginning in the fall of 2024. 

FMI: www.united.com