United Airlines is set to resume flights to Israel on September 8 with two daily routes from Newark to Tel Aviv, according to a Friday N12 report.
The US airline’s return is expected to significantly increase competition on the routes from Israel to the US, which are highly sought out, said the report.
The announcement comes amid a wave of both international and Israeli airlines expanding operations at Ben-Gurion Airport.
KLM has also resumed operations, with a Tel Aviv-Amsterdam route restarting on August 25, according to the report. Sales for the route began on August 6.
The Dutch airline said on Friday that it is “continuously adjust[ing] its network based on commercial and operational considerations.”
The flights on this route will operate with a technical stopover in Larnaca, Cyprus, where the flight crew will have an overnight stay.
Lufthansa is also expanding its flights to and from Israel, according to N12, expecting to reach up to 67 flights a week beginning in September.
Israir joins competition
Amid the rise of global carriers, Israir is expected to join the competition soon, the report said. The Israeli carrier received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel to begin operating flights to the US and is expected to submit an application to the US Federal Aviation Administration for a final green light for flights to New York.