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The current fighting in the Gulf region continues to make Israeli airspace too risky for most carriers, including 
American Airlines. After extending its service suspensions following the launch of Operation Epic Fury at the end of February, three years will have passed before American Airlines returns to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
The ongoing dangers to civilian air traffic forced AA to make this decision, as reported earlier today by @xJonNYC on X. American is not expected to touch down again until January 2027. The 2026 air campaign conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran has resulted in a major wave of missile and drone attacks across the region as Iranian troops retaliate. With the ‘Big Three’ US carriers still grounded, only Israeli flag carrier El Al now offers direct, nonstop flights.
The Problem For American Carriers In Israel
There has been an unbroken chain of violence since 2023, snowballing to create the current situation. Although there has been no collateral damage to commercial aircraft, the general threat level remains elevated to this day. The threat to civil air traffic in the Gulf region over the past three years is considered the most significant disruption of commercial flying since the 9/11 attacks on New York City in 2001.
Despite that, Delta Air Lines is slated to resume service from New York JFK Airport (JFK) to Tel Aviv on September 6, 2026. Delta service from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) is also slated to begin again on November 30. United Airlines is expected to resume flying from New York to Tel Aviv on September 8, at the earliest.
AA planned to restart service in March to Ben Gurion Tel Aviv International Airport (TLV) in March, but was forced to suspend again due to a sudden joint attack on Iran by the US and Israel. A spokesperson for AA commented to the Times of Israel with this remark regarding the extended service suspension:
“We will proactively reach out to impacted customers of this schedule adjustment, offering options in line with our customer-friendly schedule change policy.”
Clear And Present Danger In Israeli Skies
The primary danger for airliners is the risk of a civilian jet being misidentified and shot down by military air defense systems from one of the different armed forces simultaneously engaged in launching and deflecting chaotic salvos of missiles and drone attacks. The Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency do not have a current ban against flying into Israel, but have severe restrictions.
Since 2023, civil flights have repeatedly had to scramble and divert mid-air as sudden missile strikes were launched. The reality of this threat was spotlighted when three US Air Force Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle jets were shot down in Kuwait by friendly air defenses in the early stages of Operation Epic Fury.
Aircraft operating near the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East have also experienced safety-of-flight risks in the form of severe GPS interference and spoofing. This triggers false terrain avoidance alerts, forcing flight crews to fly on secondary navigation systems. Because the Middle East is the primary corridor connecting Europe, Asia, and Australia, airlines have suffered major service interruptions as they completely avoid airspace over Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon.
70-Passenger Cap: Israeli Carriers To Resume Highly Restricted Outbound Flights On Sunday
The authorization from the authorities allows for up to two narrowbody departures per hour from the country’s primary airport.
A Tragic Cycle Of Violence Hanging Over Tel Aviv
American Airlines first halted flights in October 2023 due to hostilities breaking out after a large-scale, surprise offensive attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas militants. Since then, the airspace around Tel Aviv has been closed multiple times and severely restricted as a result of the ongoing conflict.
There were over 1,000 deaths in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack as the terrorists also took 251 hostages. The Israeli Defense Forces spent more than two years recovering captives, the bodies, and hostages who did not survive. The last, 24-year-old Ran Gvilli, was discovered dead in a Northern Gaza cemetery on January 26 of this year.
The majority of the hostages were thankfully recovered alive, 168 were freed over a series of ceasefire and negotiation phases. The last release of living captives took place on October 13, 2025. The United Nations later reported widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity. Atrocities perpetrated by Hamas included murdering non-combatants and rampant sexual violence.
