El Al Israel Airlines said on Thursday it would add flights to New York in 2024 after the United States agreed to admit Israel into a program that will allow visa-free entry by Israeli citizens.
Starting next June, Israel’s flag carrier will add a daily flight to New York’s JFK Airport that will bring daily flights to JFK and Newark airports to as many as six per day and 33 per week.
On Wednesday, the US government said Israel would be admitted to the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as of Nov. 30.
“This is a breakthrough, and we are preparing to expand the flight frequencies based on the expected increase in demand,” CEO Dina Ben-Tal Ganancia said, adding that New York had long been the top destination for Israelis.
El Al said a survey it commissioned of Israeli adults who plan to travel abroad found that just 30% of them hold visas to enter the United States, while 40% of those considering flying to the US said the need for a visa was one of the main barriers to flying there.
If Israelis may enter without a visa, the willingness to fly to the US would rise by 20%, according to the poll. It also showed that 65% of respondents said New York was the most sought-after US destination, followed by Los Angeles at 13%.
In all, El Al as of next June will operate 49 weekly flights to the United States including non-stops from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles, Miami and Boston. It will also add a route to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in April.
El Al also recently forged a strategic cooperation with Delta DAL.N to broaden connection options in the US It said that the collaboration would allow El Al to increase the supply of seats to US destinations while expanding its route network.
Fostering personal and professional connections between Israel and the US
Israel’s entrance into the US’s VWP is anticipated to foster stronger personal and professional connections between the two countries, enabling smoother travel and enhancing opportunities for tourism and business exchanges.
“It will foster innovation and strategic cooperation between our two nations by enabling better communication and better exchange of ideas,” said Oren Sagi, current chairman of AmCham Israel. AmCham Israel serves as the exclusive local representative of the US Chamber of Commerce, which is the largest business federation in the world. This affiliation brings together two influential organizations with a shared mission of promoting economic growth, fostering business relationships, and advancing the interests of the American and Israeli business communities.
Sagi elaborated on the development’s significance, noting that the move will “enable better ways for Israelis to be familiar with market demand in the US, and for Americans to be familiar with the huge amount of innovation coming from the start-up nation.”
“There is no doubt that the current Visa processes have prevented, or put some obstacles, for many, many Israelis who have wanted to travel to the US. The new visa program will enable more and more engagement on both sides without having to deal with [unnecessary] bureaucratic obstacles,” he said, noting that several sectors, from tech to healthcare will be positively impacted.
Of course, even for a professional like Sagi, the new development has more than just professional implications. “Speaking on a very personal note,” he said, “It will save me the need to make sure my Visa isn’t expired when I want to travel to see the LA Lakers play against the Miami Heat in 2024.”
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