Sky Opening: Airlines Rush Back to Tel Aviv While US Carriers Stall

The window is opening — but not for everyone. As of mid-April 2026, nine foreign airlines have announced plans to resume service to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, signaling a cautious but accelerating return to one of the world’s most politically sensitive aviation markets. The timing is no accident: a fragile US-Iran truce has shifted the calculus for carriers that suspended flights during the height of regional conflict.

El Al, Israel’s national carrier, is leading the charge. The airline is expanding to 40 destinations globally, adding nine new routes across Europe and the United States. Meanwhile, carriers including Bluebird, ALK, Etihad, TUS Airways, Smartwings, and Hainan Airlines are joining the queue. But three of the world’s largest airlines — United, Delta, and Air Canada — are watching from the sidelines.

That split tells a story worth understanding.

Ben Gurion Airport and the Fragile Aviation Recovery

Ben Gurion International Airport, located outside Tel Aviv, has been at the center of one of commercial aviation’s most difficult chapters. Since the outbreak of conflict in Israel, dozens of international carriers suspended routes citing safety concerns, insurance complications, and regulatory pressure from their home governments.

The airport’s closure to foreign carriers was not total — El Al continued operating throughout much of the conflict period — but the absence of international competition left Israeli travelers with sharply limited options and inflated fares. For a country that depends heavily on air travel for both tourism and business connectivity, the impact was severe.

Now, with a US-Iran truce providing a degree of regional de-escalation, carriers are reassessing. The question is not just whether to return, but when, and at what liability exposure.

Why El Al Is Expanding While Others Wait

El Al’s position is structurally different from any other carrier in this equation. As Israel’s national airline, it has both a commercial and a quasi-diplomatic mandate to maintain connectivity. The airline never fully abandoned its international network, even during the most intense phases of the conflict.

Now it is accelerating. According to reporting from Aviation A2Z, El Al is expanding to 40 global destinations as international airlines rush back to Tel Aviv. The airline is adding nine new flight destinations in Europe and the United States starting next week, per JNS reporting.

That expansion is partly strategic. Every week a competitor is absent from the Tel Aviv market, El Al captures more market share. The airline has strong incentive to normalize operations quickly and lock in passenger loyalty before European and Middle Eastern rivals fully return.

The US-Iran Truce Factor and What It Actually Changed

The timing of this aviation wave is not coincidental. A US-Iran truce, reported by the Times of Israel, has reduced the immediate threat of wider regional escalation. For airlines, that matters enormously. War risk insurance premiums for flights over or near conflict zones can be prohibitive, and a truce — even a fragile one — changes the underwriting environment.

Etihad’s return is particularly significant from a geopolitical optics standpoint. The UAE carrier’s willingness to resume Tel Aviv service reflects the normalization framework established under the Abraham Accords, which formalized UAE-Israel relations. Etihad’s return signals that Gulf carriers view the current security environment as manageable.

Hainan Airlines’ inclusion in the returning group is notable for different reasons. Chinese carriers have been cautious about Middle Eastern routes throughout the conflict period. Hainan’s return suggests Beijing-aligned aviation entities now see commercial opportunity outweighing reputational or security risk.

Why United, Delta, and Air Canada Are Still Grounded

The three North American holdouts share a common profile: large, heavily regulated carriers with significant liability exposure, unionized pilot workforces, and corporate governance structures that require extensive internal sign-off before resuming service to conflict-adjacent destinations.