Israel’s El Al is adding flights from Fort Lauderdale
South Florida travelers will soon have more ways to see religious sites, family members or tech-industry colleagues in Israel. El Al is resuming nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Tel Aviv.
Starting April 15, the state-owned carrier will fly between Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport. The year-round service will be twice a week in each direction, leaving Fort Lauderdale on Mondays and Saturdays, about a 12-hour trip.
The new flights come as the Middle East remains volatile. The October attack by Hamas, a group the United States classifies as terrorist organization, murdered about 1,200 people Hundreds were taken hostage. Israel’s military response in Gaza has killed thousands of people.
Almost immediately after the attacks, airlines from the United States, except for El Al, canceled flights into Israel. The largest cruise companies also suspended stops at Israeli ports. El Al had seasonal flights from Fort Lauderdale but ended those in mid-October.
The new flights are a boost for South Florida’s Jewish community. The region has the third-largest number of Jews in the United States after New York and Los Angeles, according to the Israeli Consulate in Miami.
And Broward County is home to the largest Jewish community in Florida, with over 230,000 people.
In 2022, El Al moved its Americas headquarters from New York City to Margate in Broward.
Beyond South Florida, El Al provides nonstop service from New York, Boston and Los Angeles.
The Israeli carrier has continued to fly out of Miami International Airport.
El Al operates five nonstop flights a week between Miami and Tel Aviv. Flights leave MIA on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
JEWISH COMMUNITY AND TECH EXECUTIVES
Beyond South Florida’s Jewish community, others who could benefit from the new FLL service are the region’s Evangelicals, who frequently travel to Israel for religious reasons, and professionals from the growing business and tech communities. Israeli companies such as Lendai, a financial-technology company; Insightec, a medical company; and Fullpath, a platform for automotive dealers, have offices in the Magic City.
The innovation-focused IDEA Center at Miami Dade College has a partnership with the Tel Aviv University Entrepreneurship Center.
Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County’s first Jewish mayor, led a business delegation of more than 50 people to Israel in 2022 along with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. She has been a vocal Israel supporter since last October’s attack by Hamas. Less than two weeks later, the mayor had Miami-Dade County buy an additional $25 million in Israeli bonds, upping its total to $75 million.
OTHER AIRLINES RETURNING TO ISRAEL
El Al adding flights out of Fort Lauderdale comes as major United States airlines are reinstating service to Israel:
Delta Airlines will resume daily non-stop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and Tel Aviv starting June 7. The Atlantabased carrier said its decision to return to service “follows an extensive security risk assessment by the airline.”
Delta previously flew to Tel Aviv from Boston and Atlanta but has yet to announce if it will continue those flights.
Delta’s flights take on added significance for many South Florida residents with Latin America ties. Since January, the airline has had an agreement with El Al so passengers can accrue frequent-flier miles. It also has a partnership with LATAM Airlines, so travelers can fly between Latin America and Miami on LATAM or Delta and then head to Israel on El Al.
United began daily flights in March between Newark Liberty International Airport and Tel
Aviv.
American Airlines will restart service in October, with flights to Israel from JFK.