El Al’s Ambitious Expansion Plans for North America in Summer 2026

El Al Israel Airlines is setting the stage for its most ambitious Summer schedule ever in 2026, focusing on a significant expansion of long-haul flights, particularly to North America. This effort aims to secure demand on vital international routes.

With the newly released summer timetable, El Al plans to operate 55 weekly flights to North America, marking the highest frequency in its history. This expansion is largely driven by increased service from New York, with JFK and Newark together offering up to seven daily flights. Additionally, the airline will introduce one more weekly flight to Miami, catering to sustained interest in US-Israel routes.

The enhancement of services to North America reflects El Al’s strategy of focusing on high-demand, high-revenue markets where it holds a competitive edge. New York has consistently been the airline’s most crucial overseas hub, prompting El Al to utilize widebody aircraft to accommodate the surge in travel as global tourism shifts back into full swing.

In addition to North America, El Al is ramping up its operations to the Far East, planning 16 weekly flights to Thailand for the summer season. Bangkok will see two additional flights, while Tokyo, which has been part of the airline’s year-round service since early 2024, will increase its peak-season offerings to five weekly flights.

To handle the anticipated rise in passenger numbers, El Al intends to deploy larger aircraft on several long-haul routes. Notably, they will utilize the Boeing 787-10, the largest model within the Dreamliner range, which offers enhanced seating capacity compared to previous variants. This aircraft is expected to play a pivotal role in El Al’s long-haul expansion.

Within Europe, El Al is boosting flight frequencies across key markets, particularly in Italy. Weekly flights to Rome and Milan will rise to 17 each, complemented by ongoing services to Venice and Naples. In Germany, flights from Munich will increase to 11 per week. Additional boosts are planned for Amsterdam, Budapest, Lisbon, and Porto, with some European flights also featuring widebody aircraft to facilitate connecting traffic.

Shlomi Zafrany, El Al’s Vice President of Commercial Affairs, emphasized that the summer schedule represents a long-term growth strategy focused on strengthening major gateways and enhancing connectivity through the Tel Aviv hub. Further network developments are anticipated in the months ahead as the airline continues to adapt its capacity to meet market demands.

How will these changes impact your travel plans in the near future?