El Al Israel Airlines is adding nine destinations to its network, including three new long-haul routes to Asia, marking its first major network expansion since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
The carrier says it will launch service between Tel Aviv and Hanoi, Vietnam, from Oct. 24 using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. It also plans to open routes to Seoul from March 2027 and to Manila at a later date, both subject to regulatory approvals. Each of the new Asian routes is expected to operate three times per week.
The additions will expand El Al’s Asia-Pacific footprint, which currently accounts for just 7.3% of its total capacity. According to OAG Schedules Analyser data, the airline serves Bangkok Suvarnabhumi 12X-weekly; Phuket, Thailand, 3X-weekly; and Tokyo Narita 2X-weekly. Pre-pandemic, the carrier also operated to Beijing Capital and Mumbai, while Shanghai Pudong and Hong Kong were last served in 2021.
The move comes as El Al continues to rebuild and reposition its network following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the subsequent conflict, which disrupted air services to and from Israel and led to the suspension of multiple foreign carriers.
Additionally, leisure subsidiary Sun d’Or International Airlines will introduce six seasonal European destinations from May 24, flying to Basel, Switzerland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Cagliari, Sardinia; Catania, Sicily; and Zagreb, Croatia. The carrier has also recently announced plans to operate flights from Tel Aviv to Salzburg, Austria, and Varna, Bulgaria, as well as resuming flights to Naples, Italy.
The European additions reinforce Western Europe’s position as El Al’s largest regional market, currently accounting for 48% of total capacity. Overall, OAG data shows the airline is offering 532,516 seats across its network in February 2026, up 4% year on year. It serves 44 international destinations from Tel Aviv, in addition to a domestic route to Eilat.
The network expansion comes as El Al is facing a record fine after Israel’s competition authority claimed the carrier had charged excessive fares during the Gaza conflict. On Feb. 8, the Israel Competition Authority said it intends to impose a fine of up to NIS121 million ($39 million), alleging the airline exploited monopolistic power and charged “excessive and unfair” fares.
The regulator said El Al held a monopoly on at least 38 of the 53 routes it operated between Oct. 7, 2023, and the end of May 2024, including major markets such as London, New York, Paris, Bangkok, Tokyo and Los Angeles. Based on its analysis, ticket prices rose by an average of about 16%, with some routes recording increases of up to 31%.
However, El Al has rejected the allegations. “Even if the Israel Competition Authority’s position is accepted, according to which ticket prices rose by 16% on average for economy and premium classes (which is an incorrect figure in our opinion) during the war, there is no precedent for determining that such a price increase reflects excessive pricing,” the airline said in a statement. “El Al will present its full position at a hearing and in any appropriate legal forum and is convinced that its position will be accepted.”
The proposed fine is not final and is subject to a hearing.
Related Content
