Despite Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas, EL AL Israel Airlines announced Wednesday it will expand its South Florida flight schedule in April as it had scheduled even before the October fighting broke out.
Beginning April 15, in time for the Passover holiday which starts the following week, EL AL will be adding two weekly flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, bringing the weekly South Florida schedule to seven.
“We get a busy period right before the Jewish holidays,” said spokesman Elie Rosenfeld. “This has been in the books for close to a year.”
The national air carrier of Israel, which already serves Miami International Airport, also moved its U.S. offices from New York to Margate.
EL AL began service between Tel Aviv and New York in 1950. The carrier plans to operate more than 50 weekly flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport, as well as airports in Newark, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. On Wednesday it also announced two additional flights in the lineup from Los Angeles starting in June, and a new weekly flight on the Boston-Tel Aviv route, which will now operate four times a week on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer.
The Oct. 7 assault on Israel by Hamas terrorists, and the subsequent fighting, hasn’t stopped the need for travel, Rosenfeld said. Tourists abroad at the time wanted to get home, and Israelis — especially those being called up for military reserve service — needed to get back, he said. As other airlines canceled their flights, El Al kept flying.
“The last few weeks and months have been very robust,” he said, adding supporters are still “going on philanthropic and community missions, as well as people who have family there and have family celebrations: weddings, bar mitzvahs. Those things are continuing to happen.”
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash
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