El Al plans record North America push in summer 2026 schedule

El Al Israel Airlines plans its largest-ever summer schedule in 2026, with a sharp expansion of long-haul flying led by record service to North America, as the airline moves to lock in demand on key international routes. 

Under its newly announced summer timetable, El Al will operate 55 weekly flights to North America, the highest level in its history. The increase is driven primarily by New York, where service from JFK and Newark will rise to as many as seven daily flights combined. The airline will also add one additional weekly frequency to Miami, reflecting sustained demand on US-Israel routes. 

The North America expansion underscores El Al’s strategy of concentrating capacity on high-yield, high-volume markets where it maintains a strong competitive position. New York has long been the airline’s most important overseas market, and the carrier has leaned heavily on widebody capacity to meet demand as global travel continues to normalize. 

El Al is also increasing flying to the Far East, with a total of 16 weekly flights to Thailand during the summer season. Service to Bangkok will gain two additional flights, while Tokyo, which El Al has served year-round since early 2024, will see peak-season service increase to as many as five weekly flights. 

To support the higher passenger volumes, El Al plans to deploy larger aircraft on several long-haul routes, including the Boeing 787-10, the largest variant of the Dreamliner family in the airline’s fleet. The aircraft offers increased seating capacity compared with earlier 787 models and is expected to play a central role in the airline’s long-haul growth. 

Within Europe, El Al is expanding frequencies across several core markets, with a notable focus on Italy. Flights to Rome and Milan will increase to 17 weekly services each, supported by continued service to Venice and Naples. In Germany, the airline will boost frequencies from Munich to as many as 11 flights per week. Additional increases are planned for Amsterdam, Budapest, Lisbon, and Porto, with widebody aircraft scheduled on select European flights to accommodate connecting traffic. 

Shlomi Zafrany, El Al’s Vice President of Commercial Affairs, said the summer schedule reflects a long-term growth plan centered on strengthening key gateways and improving connectivity through the airline’s Tel Aviv hub. The carrier said further network initiatives are expected to be announced in the coming months as it continues to adjust capacity in response to market demand. The post El Al plans record North America push in summer 2026 schedule appeared first on AeroTime.

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