Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York on Wednesday criticized three major U.S. airlines for continuing to suspend flights to Israel, saying they are “effectively boycotting” the country.
In a letter to the CEOs of American, Delta and United, Torres said the airlines' “extended” suspension of flights to Israel had made air travel to Israel difficult and expensive.
“The lack of competition has made air travel to Israel less available and less affordable, leaving customers at the mercy of a virtual monopoly that can easily increase prices with impunity,” Torres said in the letter to American Airlines Chief Executive Robert Isom, Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Ed Bastian and United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby.
Jewish Insider Get it first Torres' letter.
The three airlines suspended flights to Israel shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza. Delta Airlines said last week it would extend its suspension until Oct. 31, while American Airlines extended its suspension until March 29 next year. United Airlines said it would continue the suspension indefinitely.
Torres noted that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not issued a travel ban to Israel since the Oct. 7 attacks. 2014 36 hours For US airlines heading to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.
“It is one thing to temporarily suspend air travel to Israel for national security reasons as defined by the FAA, but to unilaterally and indefinitely suspend air travel until mid-2025, as American Airlines has done, essentially has the same effect as a boycott,” he wrote.
The New York Democrat later quipped that the length of the suspension shows how the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement “has taken over America's airline industry without anyone noticing, much less calling out any wrongdoing.”
“By what logic, in what world, is it safe for El Al to travel to Israel, but American, Delta and United are too risky? It is noteworthy that UAE airlines such as Etihad, Flydubai and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi continue to fly to Israel without incident,” he wrote.
EI AI is an Israeli airline that offers continuous direct flights from the United States to Israel.
Torres is a longtime supporter of Israel who left the Progressive Caucus in February after clashing with lawmakers over their stance on Israel's war with Hamas.
The Hill has reached out to American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines for further comment.
