El Al to Resume South America Flights After 15-Year Gap

El Al is set to resume flights to South America in November, launching nonstop service between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires. This marks the carrier's first expansion into the South American market in 15 years, according to reports from Flightradar24 and Aviation Week.

The route will operate twice weekly using Boeing 787 aircraft. As the longest service in El Al's network, the flight covers approximately 6,609 nautical miles. Due to operational routing constraints and the necessity of avoiding certain airspaces over Africa and the Middle East, block times are estimated at 16.5 hours westbound and 15.5 hours eastbound.

Strategic Support and Connectivity

To ensure the route's viability, the Israeli government is providing an annual subsidy of 20 million shekels. The restoration of this link follows a period of reduced connectivity to the region after LATAM Airlines Group suspended its flights at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This expansion is part of a broader effort by El Al to increase long-haul capacity in high-demand markets, including the planned resumption of service to San Francisco in late October.