By The Visit Israel Editorial Team · Last updated
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Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) is one of the busiest airports in the Middle East, served by dozens of airlines from North America, Europe, Asia and beyond. Fares vary enormously depending on when you book, what time of year you travel and which routing you choose. Here is how to find the best price.
October is the lowest-demand month for flights to Israel. The Jewish high-holiday season — Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot — typically falls in September and runs into early October, after which leisure travel drops sharply and airlines discount to fill seats. November and early December are similarly quiet and often well priced.
When to avoid: Flights surge significantly around:
These dates shift each year on the Hebrew calendar — use the fare tools below to look at actual prices across the month, not just rule-of-thumb guidance.
For a regularly updated summary of which airlines are currently operating, which are suspended, and which resumed in 2026, see the airlines flying to Israel 2026 status page.
| Route | Carriers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New York JFK | El Al, Delta, Israir, American | Delta daily nonstop resumed Sep 2025; Israir low-cost nonstop from Aug 2026 |
| Newark EWR | United, El Al | United resumed Mar 2025; check united.com for current schedule |
| Los Angeles LAX | El Al | Year-round |
| San Francisco SFO | El Al | New route from Oct 2026 |
| Miami MIA | El Al | Seasonal |
| Chicago ORD | United, El Al | United added ORD–TLV November 2025; check united.com |
| Washington IAD | United | United added IAD–TLV November 2025; check united.com |
Delta resumed its daily New York JFK–Tel Aviv nonstop in September 2025 and operates it year-round. However, the planned Atlanta–Tel Aviv launch has been pushed back to at least December 2026, and the Boston–Tel Aviv route is delayed indefinitely — check delta.com for current status. United Airlines resumed Newark EWR–Tel Aviv service in March 2025 and has since expanded to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Washington Dulles (IAD) — check united.com for current frequencies and seasonal schedules.
El Al (Israel’s national carrier) offers the most nonstop frequencies from North America and tends to be price-competitive on the direct market. El Al’s Lite fare is often the entry price on the route — check what it includes before booking, as checked bags may be an add-on.
Israir launched Israel’s first low-cost carrier nonstop to the US from New York JFK in August 2026, using an Airbus A330 (ex-American Airlines) with 206 economy seats. Expect lower base fares than El Al on that route; compare total prices including any luggage fees.
One-stop connections via Europe — particularly London Heathrow, Paris CDG, Amsterdam AMS, Rome Fiumicino or Vienna VIE — can be significantly cheaper than a nonstop, especially when booked well in advance. Running both searches side by side is worth the effort.
| Carrier | Main bases | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| El Al | London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Frankfurt, Zurich, Budapest | Daily or near-daily from major hubs |
| Air France / Transavia | Paris CDG, Orly | 3–4 daily CDG–TLV; see Israel for French visitors |
| ITA Airways | Rome FCO | Twice daily from July 2026; Italy’s state carrier (successor to Alitalia) — see Israel for Italian visitors |
| Arkia | Málaga AGP | New Jul 2026; weekly direct — see Israel for Spanish visitors |
| Israir | Madrid MAD | New from Oct 2026; 3×/week A320 |
| airBaltic | Riga RIX | Resumed July 2026 with El Al codeshare; connects Baltic/Nordic passengers via Riga hub |
| Georgian Airways (Airzena) | Tbilisi TBS | Direct TBS–TLV service (~2.5–3h); primary carrier for travellers from Georgia — see Israel for Georgian visitors |
| Eurowings | Hamburg HAM, Düsseldorf DUS | New routes from July 2026; Lufthansa Group LCC — base fares exclude checked luggage |
| Wizz Air | London Luton, Budapest, Vienna, Bucharest and others | Ultra-low base fares; luggage add-ons |
| British Airways | London Heathrow (LHR) — Suspended | BA has suspended its Heathrow–TLV service; scheduled to resume from late October 2026 — verify current status at ba.com before booking |
| Ryanair | Suspended | Ryanair has not operated TLV flights since 2023 and confirmed no S26 restart (corporate.ryanair.com) — do not rely on Ryanair for Israel flights |
| easyJet | London Gatwick, Paris CDG, Geneva — verify status | Announced March 2026 resumption; current operational status uncertain — confirm at easyjet.com before booking |
| Aegean | Athens and Greek islands | Good option for combining with a Greece trip |
Budget carrier base fares can be very low — especially in autumn and spring — but checked luggage and seat selection add up fast. A €30 base fare can become €90–120 with one hold bag and a seat assignment. Check the total-basket price before comparing to legacy carriers that include luggage.
No direct flights exist from Australia. New for 2026: Arkia launched the first-ever direct Israel–Japan service (TLV → Tokyo Narita) from October 2026 using an Airbus A330-200 (wet-leased from Hi Fly Malta), opening a direct gateway to East Asia for the first time. Common one-stop routings include:
Direct service between South America and Israel has historically been limited to occasional charters, but El Al is launching a scheduled TLV–Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) route from 29 November 2026 — the first-ever regular direct connection between Israel and South America. Argentina has a Jewish community of roughly 180,000–200,000, making it the largest in South America, and the route targets diaspora family travel as well as the broader Argentine tourist market.
Verify the current schedule at el-al.com before booking, as launch-date service can be subject to adjustment. El Al also operates a direct nonstop service between Tel Aviv and São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) — verify the current schedule and frequency at elal.com, as days of operation vary by season. Travelers from São Paulo on the El Al GRU–TLV direct can expect approximately 11 hours of flight time. From Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and other Brazilian cities, the most popular connecting options are TAP Portugal via Lisbon, LATAM via Madrid, or Turkish Airlines via Istanbul. Travelers from Santiago (Chile), Bogotá, Lima and other South American cities continue to route via European hubs or Miami/New York. See the Israel for Brazilian travelers guide for Brazil-specific flight options, ETA-IL entry and practical tips.
As a general pattern (check current prices — every route differs):
Setting a price alert for your route (see tools below) removes the guesswork — you get notified when fares dip rather than having to check manually.
Skyscanner — the most useful starting point for Tel Aviv. The “whole month” view shows every day of a calendar month colour-coded by price; useful for finding the cheapest 3–4 day window within your available dates. Price alerts notify you when fares change on your saved route.
Google Flights — the price graph (bottom of the results page) shows fare history across a 6-month calendar, useful for identifying the cheapest weeks at a glance. The “nearby airports” option is relevant for Europe where a different departure airport may save significantly.
ITA Matrix (matrix.itasoftware.com) — a powerful fare lookup for complex routings, open-jaw itineraries (fly into TLV, fly out of Eilat’s Ramon Airport or vice versa), and multi-city combinations. Results are for research only — you book elsewhere.
If your trip covers more than one city, an open-jaw can save money and eliminate backtracking. Common examples:
Search these as separate one-way tickets (often on different carriers) or via ITA Matrix, which supports open-jaw searches natively.
Israel requires an ETA-IL (electronic travel authorisation) for visa-exempt nationalities, applied for before boarding. It costs a small fee and is typically approved within minutes, but apply at least 72 hours before departure to be safe. Full details are in the visa information guide.
Most nationalities flying into Israel will not have an Israeli passport stamp — Ben Gurion uses a paper entry slip instead, which removes restrictions for onward travel to certain neighbouring countries. See visa information for details.
Once you land, the Ben Gurion Airport guide covers terminal layout, the security interview process, passport control flow and the 2026 lounge situation. The airport transfers guide compares the train, private transfer, taxi and sherut options to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with current prices and Shabbat notes.
Sort your Israel eSIM before departure so you have data on arrival without roaming charges. Budget planning for the full trip? The Israel cost and budget guide covers accommodation, food, transport and tours across all price tiers.
Want to fly for free (or nearly free)? The Israel points & miles guide covers the best frequent-flyer programmes for TLV — United MileagePlus, Flying Blue promos, El Al Matmid and more — with current approximate mile costs and the best booking windows.
October is typically the cheapest month to fly to Israel — demand drops sharply after the Jewish high-holiday season (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot) ends in late September. November and early December are also competitively priced. Avoid Passover (March–April), the Jewish High Holidays (September–October), and the weeks around Christmas and New Year, when fares typically surge significantly.
Booking roughly 20–26 weeks (5–6 months) ahead generally produces the best fares from North America and Australia. For European routes, 8–16 weeks ahead is usually optimal. Booking less than six weeks out tends to be the most expensive window. Set a Skyscanner or Google Flights price alert for your route and travel month so you can act when fares dip.
El Al operates the most nonstop US–Israel frequencies year-round. Delta resumed daily nonstop service on its New York JFK–Tel Aviv route in September 2025; however, its planned Atlanta and Boston routes remain suspended (Atlanta through at least November 2026; Boston delayed indefinitely — check delta.com). United Airlines resumed Newark EWR–Tel Aviv nonstop service in March 2025 and added Chicago ORD and Washington Dulles IAD routes in November 2025 — check united.com for current schedules and seasonal frequencies. Israir launched the first low-cost Israeli carrier nonstop from New York JFK in August 2026. El Al also added San Francisco SFO as a new West Coast gateway from October 2026. American Airlines serves Miami MIA seasonally. Connecting via London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome or Vienna on European carriers sometimes produces a lower total fare — run both searches.
Yes. Wizz Air is the most active LCC on TLV routes, flying from London Luton, Budapest, Vienna, Bucharest and others. Eurowings (Lufthansa Group LCC) launched Hamburg and Düsseldorf routes in July 2026. Note: Ryanair has NOT operated Ben Gurion Airport flights since 2023 and has confirmed it will not restart TLV service for summer 2026 (corporate.ryanair.com). easyJet announced a March 2026 resumption but its Israel service status remains uncertain — verify at easyjet.com before booking. Aegean flies from Athens and several Greek islands. LCC base fares exclude hold luggage and seat selection — factor those add-ons in when comparing.
Virtually all international flights arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport (IATA: TLV), located roughly 15 km southeast of Tel Aviv and 50 km northwest of Jerusalem. Ramon Airport near Eilat handles some seasonal charter and low-cost services to Red Sea resort destinations, but for most visitors from North America, Europe, or Australia, TLV is the entry point.
By The Visit Israel Editorial Team · Last updated