Air service to Israel has been a challenge since the October 7, 2023, attacks with numerous suspensions and resumptions since that day. With retaliation expected after Israel’s latest attack against Iran, both Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are once again suspending service to Israel. In fact, both Delta and United flights bound for Tel Aviv made U-turns over the Atlantic last night after Israel’s bombing campaign began.
Israel’s Attack On Iran Prompts Delta And United To Suspend Service (Again)
Israel’s attack against Iran triggered many thoughts last night, but the first was that Delta and United would have to suspend service…again. After a Houhi rocket attack near Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv (TLV), both Delta and United suspended service in early May 2025. Delta resumed service on May 20, 2025 while United resumed service only last week on June 5, 2025.
Although there have been rumblings of war all week and the US has pulled personnel from Iran’s neighbor Iraq and from across the region, both Delta and United flights took off.
But Israel’s attack in the early morning hours across Iran targeted Iran’s fledgling nuclear program and took out multiple senior officers, including Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s missile program, by targeting an underground command center. The US quickly distanced itself from the attacks, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio claiming the US had no involvement, but Iran has vowed retaliation against Israel.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will give a severe, wise and strong answer to the occupier regime”
Iran has also suspended internet across the country. In Washington, President Trump has warned there is more to come:
“There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
With tensions high, retaliation poised, both Deta and United flights bound for TLV made a U-turn over the Atlantic. DL234 operated an 8-hour flight to nowhere, making a U-turn just past Newfoundland before arriving back at New York (JFK) at 1:44 am. UA84 operated a 10-hour flight to nowhere, making a U-turn halfway over the Atlantic before arriving at Newark Airport (EWR) at 2:38 am this morning.
Both carriers have suspended service again and it must be so frustrating considering the advance work that goes into catering, ground support, and other logistical matters ahead of every relaunch.
CONCLUSION
Both Delta and United flights bound for Tel Aviv made U-turns over the Atlantic last night after Israel launched its latest attack against Iranian nuclear facilities and key personnel in the Islamic Republic. Expect service to remain suspended indefinitely.
Meanwhile, Israeli flag carrier EL AL will continue service without interruption, though it faces an interesting lawsuit over price gouging we’ll look at tomorrow.
the bigger concern is the increase in crude oil prices that could wipe out profits for a number of US carriers after labor cost increases came during low oil prices in addition to higher prices for consumers worldwide and a cutback in spending.
Short term you may be right, but overall, a blow to Iran to put it in its place and stop or pause its funding for terror will bring more stability to the world in general and transport/shipping in particular.
that may well be true but most of the US airline capacity for 2024 was operated by airlines that had less than a 2% net income profit margin meaning large portions of the US industry cannot sustain higher costs or a significant drop in revenue even if for only a few months
Israel’s pish for forever wars just to keep Netenyahu out of jail isn’t a good sign for long term peace.
Unlike you plays prison nightly with your collection of boy toys.
They all like the guy with the big bucks and open a$$
Your hatred of Jews must come from one that finished too fast for you because you don’t seem like a German sympathizer.
Lol your repertoire of bigotry and vile nonsense is beyond boring at tbis point.
Also saying I have a hatred of Jewish people just shows how myopic and frankly how painfully stupid you are.
But you keep doing you, you usless piece of bovine fecal matter.
Bibi doesn’t even have approval of a majority of Israelis at this point. I suppose they are all Jew-hating antisemites too?
Is it just coincidental or do you deliberately choose to provide the stereotypical example of a racist with extreme homophobia in the heart who has no respect for the truth? The Trumpublican Party base has already revealed itself as such, so no additional reminders are needed. But thank you for your service.
Any US carrier that has not worked on hedging their oil exposure should be out of business. I have worked in commodities risk management for years and any company that has high exposure to commodities knows that have to have a very long hedging plan in place to avid surprises like this. So no, in the short and even medium term, an airline that did its job should not have to worry about oil prices fluctuations.
A small price to pay for the destruction of Iran’s potential nuclear program. In one time I’ll disagree with Trump, this is the only way to stop these fanatics from building a bomb they are sure to use. Negotiating with this lunatics only delays the inevitable.
Short term pain, long term gain for the good people in the world.
The Saudis will be expediting getting their hands on nuclear weapons capabilities which don’t rely upon getting Pakistan to be their nuclear package delivery boy.
I had heard that El Al and two other Israeli carriers were looking to get their planes out of Israel and keep them out of Israel for some time.
Israel’s Air Force plus all the other military hardware and back-up — basically paid for by US taxpayers — it has acts as a lid on what Iran can do in terms of symmetrical and conventional attack vectors. So it won’t be months until commercial flights to and from Israel with Israeli carriers are back on as usual.
Why are Delta and United even flying to israel? They support genocide.
I disagree with your opinion that this is genocide, but that’s irrelevant to your question. Delta and United fly there for the same reasons they fly to China, Cuba, or any other destination on earth: there is demand, and they can do so profitably.
Small correction. But Israeli carrier El Al will not “continue service without interruption,” since the Israeli airspace is closed and El Al has cancelled flights for today at least.
To be fair to US Airlines that place safety as number one priority all flights to/from Israel should be halted until it is safe for all airlines.
I have even less confidence in the ‘competence’ of at least 2 of the big 3 US airlines now. One source said the US State Dept had warnings about travel to Israel that the airline should have been aware of… Yet they still operated f’lights to nowhere’ to attempt one last planeload of $$$… and now stranding their layover crews in a potential ‘war zone’ …. Nice job !
The Trump regime knew about this Israeli attack before Wednesday local DC time. By Wednesday afternoon local DC time, you would have had to be willfully blind and deaf to not know that this US-backed Israeli action against Iran was imminent.