El Al announced it will significantly expand its U.S. flight schedule starting this October, adding more direct routes in what the airline called a response to “growing demand” from the business sector and Jewish and Israeli communities across America. Beginning in late October, El Al will operate 42 direct flights per week to four major American cities: 27 weekly flights to and from New York, six to and from Florida, six to and from Los Angeles, and three to and from Boston. The expansion marks one of El Al’s most ambitious U.S. schedules in years. While El Al did not immediately clarify whether its Florida-bound flights would serve Miami or Fort Lauderdale, the airline previously announced plans to phase out its Fort Lauderdale route by April 2026 and consolidate Florida operations in Miami. One flight is expected to shift to Miami as early as October. El Al’s announcement comes amid a sharp rise in the airline’s profits during the ongoing war with Hamas, as many foreign carriers scaled back or suspended service to Tel Aviv. While the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has not issued warnings against flying to Israel, safety concerns have kept many international airlines on pause. El Al has been the only airline to maintain continuous service to Israel throughout the conflict, with the exception of the 12-day war with Iran in June, when Israel briefly closed its airspace. “Our expanded U.S. schedule, alongside strategic partnerships with Delta and other carriers, will give our passengers seamless access to and from a wide range of American cities,” El Al said in a statement. The announcement also comes as U.S. and European carriers begin to trickle back into Israeli skies. On Tuesday, United Airlines said it would resume daily nonstop flights from its Newark hub to Tel Aviv starting July 21 — becoming the first U.S. airline to restore service since the April escalation with Iran. By July 22, United plans to increase that to two daily flights. Delta Air Lines is scheduled to resume flights from New York to Tel Aviv on September 1 but may move up its timeline in response to United’s early return. American Airlines, meanwhile, has yet to announce a resumption of service to Israel and has not flown to the country in nearly two years. In Europe, Air France became the first major carrier to return to Israel, resuming service on Monday. Spain’s Air Europa is expected to follow suit on July 15, while Lufthansa is set to resume operations on August 1. The European Aviation Authority on Monday lifted its advisory against flying to Israel, a move Israeli officials say could help accelerate the broader return of European airlines this fall. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)