Critics say the refusal of three major U.S. airlines to fly to Israel since the Oct. 7 terror attacks has caused airfares to Tel Aviv to skyrocket, essentially resulting in an economic boycott that benefits arch enemy Iran.
Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines have all maintained a nearly year-old suspension of direct flights to Israel in the wake of the Hamas massacres, leaving state-run El Al as the only airline to offer direct service, but fares have nearly tripled.
“American aircraft carriers are playing a part in Iran's game,” said Eyal Frata, who served as national security adviser under two Israeli prime ministers. He spoke to Bari Weiss's online media, The Free Press.
Several European, African and Middle Eastern airlines have resumed service to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport, despite ongoing Hamas rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip and fears of all-out war between Iran and Hezbollah.
The only way American travelers can get to Israel directly is to book a ticket with El Al, but a round-trip ticket from New York to Tel Aviv costs about $2,500.
Through Oct. 7, a ticket on El Al cost about $900.
Despite the ongoing war with Hamas, there are three airlines that fly regularly to and from Israel: Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates, FlyDubai and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.
The UAE was technically at war with Israel until 2020, when it established diplomatic ties with Jerusalem as part of the Abraham Accords brokered by the Trump administration.
“They should fly to Israel just like they do to the Gulf countries and other countries,” Flata, now a senior fellow at the pro-Israel think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Free Press about the three American airlines.
“And if they're not doing this because they're afraid of rockets, then there's something fundamentally wrong with their decision-making.”
“There have been no rocket attacks near the airport for months,” he added.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-New York), an outspoken supporter of Israel, has called on the three airlines to resume flights to Israel.
Torres wrote to representatives of the three airlines last month, asking them to develop guidelines they would follow when deciding to suspend flights to Israel. None of the airlines responded.
“In my view, unless an objective process is put in place to prevent the politicization of air travel, I predict that in the future the BDS movement will try to weaponize air travel as a new tool to boycott Israel,” Torres told the Free Press.
“And the travel ban may be the most powerful weapon in BDS' war against the Jewish state.”
BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, a tactic proposed by Palestinian supporters as a way to put pressure on Israel.
In an official statement, the airline said the decision to ground the flights was taken citing safety considerations.
“We look forward to resuming flights as soon as it is safe for our customers and crew,” a United Airlines spokesperson told The Post on Monday.
An American Airlines spokesman referred the Post to Airlines for America, a trade group and lobbying group that represents the interests of major North American airlines.
“The safety and security of all passengers and crew members has always been the top priority for U.S. airlines and underpins every decision,” an A4A spokesperson told The Washington Post.
“The situation in Israel is rapidly evolving and our airlines are continually conducting individual assessments of their operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports they receive.”
The Post has also reached out to Delta for comment.
United Airlines and Delta Airlines briefly resumed service to Tel Aviv in June but suspended service in August following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
Delta Air Lines has said it will suspend flights until October 31, while American Airlines aims to resume routes by March 2025.
The State Department has issued a travel advisory warning Americans to avoid traveling to the Gaza Strip and northern Israel.
