Announced Published May 27, 2026
TLV
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv
Ben Gurion International Airport · LLBG
7,596 mi
AEP
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
Jorge Newbery Airpark · SABE

El Al Returns To Latin America With Subsidized Argentina Route – Aviation Week

El Al Israel Airlines will launch twice-weekly nonstop service between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires in November 2026, becoming the only direct air link between Israel and Argentina and the carrier's return to South America after a 15-year absence.

Airline
El Al Israel Airlines
Aircraft
Boeing 787-9
Distance
7,596 mi
Frequency
2x weekly
Status
Announced
Map of the Tel Aviv to Buenos Aires route
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv (TLV) → 🇦🇷 Buenos Aires (AEP) · 7,596-mile corridor Open interactive map

El Al Israel Airlines will launch twice-weekly nonstop service between Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) and Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) in November 2026. Ticket sales opened in May 2026. Flights will use the Boeing 787-9 in a three-class configuration of economy, premium economy, and business.

The route, approximately 7,606 miles (6,609 nautical miles), will become El Al's longest scheduled service. Westbound flights are expected to take around 16.5 hours, with eastbound approximately 15.5 hours. Routing constraints require Israeli aircraft to avoid certain airspace across parts of Africa and the Middle East, adding to total block time.

The announcement was made during Argentinian President Javier Milei's official visit to Israel in late April 2026, during which both leaders signed broader bilateral cooperation agreements. The Israeli government is subsidizing the route with approximately NIS 20 million ($6.6 million) over 2026–2028 to support its viability during the inaugural years, according to multiple reports.

El Al CEO Levy Halevy called the launch "a move of strategic, diplomatic and national importance." Argentina is home to an estimated 200,000 Jewish residents — the world's fifth-largest Jewish community and the largest without a direct air link to Israel. El Al previously served South America with Tel Aviv–São Paulo from 2008 to 2011. LATAM Airlines operated Tel Aviv connections until the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted its network in 2020.

Aviation Week | FlightGlobal | AeroTime

Sources & references (4)

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🇮🇱 Tel Aviv
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