Delta Resumes Tel Aviv Flights From New York JFK As Of May 20, 2025
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Delta is once again restarting flights to Tel Aviv, Israel—this time resuming daily service from New York JFK after a short suspension earlier this month.
As of May 20, 2025, Delta Air Lines has officially resumed daily nonstop service between New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV). The airline had previously suspended the route on May 4, 2025, following a missile strike near Tel Aviv’s airport. Flights were briefly resumed in April after a longer pause dating back to July 2024.
Route Details: Delta’s JFK–Tel Aviv Schedule
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Flight DL234: New York (JFK) to Tel Aviv (TLV)
Departs: 3:40 PM | Arrives: 9:35 AM (+1 day) -
Flight DL235: Tel Aviv (TLV) to New York (JFK)
Departs: 11:50 AM | Arrives: 4:59 PM
The 5,677-mile route is blocked at 10hr55min eastbound and 12hr9min westbound.
Flights are operated by Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, featuring:
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29 Delta One Suites
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28 Premium Select seats
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56 Comfort+ seats
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168 Main Cabin seats
Delta: First Major U.S. Airline To Return (This Time)
Delta becomes the first U.S. carrier to restart Tel Aviv service after the most recent round of suspensions. Notably, United Airlines—historically the first to resume after each pause—has not yet restarted service at the time of Delta’s return.
According to Delta, the decision follows a “comprehensive security review” in partnership with government agencies and private stakeholders. The airline states it has implemented “additional precautions” for the route.
Delta & EL AL: Partnership Still In Play
This restart also brings renewed attention to the strategic partnership between Delta and EL AL, first announced in June 2023. Although the conflict delayed a full rollout of that alliance, the resumption of flights could signal an eventual ramp-up of cooperation between the two carriers.
Delta has historically preferred to work closely with joint venture partners and equity stake investments. Could a future Delta stake in EL AL be on the horizon? It seems plausible—especially as EL AL continues to thrive, having operated uninterrupted Israel service throughout the conflict and posting strong profits as a result.
Bottom Line
Delta has resumed daily flights between New York JFK and Tel Aviv as of May 20, 2025, operating with its Airbus A330-900neo. This restart comes just over two weeks after the route was once again suspended due to security concerns.
This marks the first time Delta has resumed Tel Aviv service before United since the start of the conflict. Whether this latest return will be more sustained than previous restarts remains to be seen—though with a partnership in place with EL AL, Delta’s long-term interest in Israel is clearly growing.
