Travelers interested in visiting Tel Aviv this summer will soon have another option.
Icelandair plans to offer nonstop flights from its hub near Reykjavik to Tel Aviv, allowing U.S. travelers to take a connecting flight via Iceland to the Israeli city. Flights would begin May 10 and run seasonally through Oct. 29.
The carrier will fly from Keflavik Airport (KEF) to Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Icelandair currently operates year-round in six U.S. cities and seasonally in seven others. The airline recently announced plans to launch a nonstop route from Detroit to Reykjavik for the summer travel season.
Increasing demand for flights between Tel Aviv and Iceland partly spurred the airline to add the city to its network. Icelandair also said the new gateway would give North America another connection to Tel Aviv.
“Tel Aviv is an exciting new destination, a perfect fit to our business model and allows us to offer convenient connections between Israel and North America,” Icelandair CEO Bogi Nils Bogason said in a statement.
Tel Aviv has become an increasingly popular destination for tourists due to its cuisine, nightlife and cultural offerings. Israel has also experienced a rebound in tourism since the pandemic, and the country’s tourism ministry said it expects to welcome around 2.5 million tourists by the end of the year.
