(TJV NEWS) After the longest suspension among U.S. carriers, American Airlines announced Sunday that it will resume flights to Israel in March, ending a two-year halt that began after the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack and the subsequent Gaza war. The return will reconnect New York’s JFK Airport with Tel Aviv, a route that had been grounded over ongoing security and safety concerns.

American Airlines to Resume Tel Aviv Service March 2026

“The return to Tel Aviv also comes as the Trump administration brokered a fragile peace deal to end the Israel-Gaza war.”https://t.co/oZlpEh3RhR pic.twitter.com/HuxzFKYU0a

— Skift (@skift) October 25, 2025

While Delta Air Lines and United Airlines had already reinstated their Israel routes months earlier, American had held off, leaving El Al and a handful of smaller Israeli carriers to shoulder most of the country’s international air traffic. Recently, several European airlines—British Airways, Iberia, SAS, and Swiss—have also announced their return to Israel, signaling renewed confidence in regional stability.

Industry observers had speculated that American’s comeback was imminent after the carrier began recruiting Hebrew-speaking flight attendants, typically a clear sign of preparations to relaunch service to Israel. According to one aviation trade outlet, American will initially restore nonstop JFK–Tel Aviv flights, while potential routes from Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth, or Miami remain unconfirmed.

The decision comes as optimism grows around the Trump-brokered ceasefire plan in Gaza, which has largely held for over two weeks.

Meanwhile, Hamas has pledged to return additional bodies of hostages, as Israeli intelligence claims it has located several remains. The Netanyahu government has accused Hamas of failing to uphold its commitments under the first phase of the deal and is demanding swift progress on the return of all captives.