Israel’s national airline reveals major expansion in South Florida after Americans cut key route
South Florida will soon be connected to Israel by two exciting routes.
Israeli aircraft carrier, El Alannounced on Wednesday that it is adding a new destination to its route map: Fort Lauderdale.
Starting September 13, El Al will begin direct service from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) for a limited time during peak Jewish holidays, lasting until mid-October.
El Al will then commence year-round service from Fort Lauderdale beginning on an undisclosed date in spring 2024. New El Al flights for the fall of 2023 are already available for pre-booking through the company’s website. carrier and they will operate on September 13, 20 and 27 and October 5, 10 and 12.
In addition to the new Fort Lauderdale service, the airline will be adding a Friday flight to its existing service from Miami International Airport (MIA) to TLV, which has been in continuous service for many years.
El Al does not operate on the Jewish Sabbath, so six weekly flights on a route the airline can operate almost daily.
All flights to and from South Florida will operate on El Al .’s New Boeing 787 Dreamlinersconfigured in a three-cabin layout with top business class cabinThe premium economy recliner is spacious, and the economy cabin offers more seating options with extra legroom.
El Al’s move comes as the airline is filling a large void left by American Airlines, which recently announced that it withdraw from the Miami market to Tel Aviv in an unexpected turn of events.
American new Miami route launches in June 2021 and initially operated it on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the eastbound direction using a 273-seat Boeing 777-200.
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The service was so successful that the airline upgraded the route to daily service on October 28, 2022, about 16 months after its initial launch. This route is currently operated by the smaller 234-seat Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, but the daily frequency has brought great capacity to the market.
However, just three months later, American made 180, and the decision to cancel the route took effect March 24. American offered no explanation, blaming the cuts on “ongoing evaluation.” our network.”
South Florida is a major market for traffic to and from Israel, and El Al alone carried more than 100,000 passengers on more than 450 flights between Miami and Tel Aviv throughout 2022. As a result, the carrier makes the most of it. Use the American Retreat with their own massive service expansion.
“As travel demand continues to grow from Florida to Israel, across all segments, we are confident that the new service to Fort Lauderdale will exceed customer expectations in terms of service, convenience and value. ,” said Marc Cavaliere, senior vice president of El Al, president of the Americas, in a statement.
Another big winner as part of the El Al announcement is FLL, which has not been connected to the Middle East since Emirates pulled out of the airport at the start of the pandemic and moved its operations about 30 miles south. to Miami.
El Al’s announcement came the same week that FLL announced it renderings for its proposed new Five Gate Terminalcould become a reality in the coming years.
Travelers living in or visiting areas north of Fort Lauderdale will likely enjoy the convenience of flying from FLL, a smaller and more manageable airport than Miami, the area’s largest and busiest airport.
Whether there is enough demand for service from the two airports in South Florida to Israel is anyone’s guess, but it does operate in the New York area, home to many major airlines, including El Al. , flies from both John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Tel Aviv with up to eight flights per day.
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