Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

MARGATE, Fla. — EL AL Israel Airlines, which recently relocated its regional headquarters for North America to Margate, Florida, is proud to announce that it is continuing to expand its activity in South Florida.

Effective on Sept. 13, 2023, EL AL will begin seasonal service from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Tel Aviv. The new non-stop flights will operate on selected days of the week to accommodate the Jewish High Holidays through October. In addition to this year’s seasonal service, year-round Tel Aviv service to and from Fort Lauderdale will begin in Spring of 2024. The complete schedule for the September and October 2023 departures to Tel Aviv is available on www.elal.com

Marc Cavaliere, EL AL’s senior vice president for the Americas commented that “EL AL is thrilled to continue opening new routes and increasing our service in the US. We’ll be operating more than 40 flights a week to Israel, continuing our mission to be The Bridge between Israel and the world. Our non-stop, point-to-point, route network provides the most direct service, and offers our guests the most authentic experience between Israel and the US.” 

Broward County Mayor Lamar Fisher noted “EL AL’s new service between FLL and Tel Aviv will help to boost business, tourism, and trade opportunities between the Middle East and Broward County. We’re excited to welcome Israel’s national airline to Broward County’s FLL and look forward to a mutually successful partnership.” 

“The addition of EL AL to Fort Lauderdale’s roster of international carriers is a significant step forward as we strive to increase our portfolio of global airlines and destinations,” said Mark E. Gale, Fort Lauderdale’s CEO/Director of Aviation. “We proudly welcome EL AL to our community and are truly excited that our patrons will soon have another nonstop option for traveling to Israel for leisure or business.”

In addition to the new Fort Lauderdale’s service, beginning on May 25, 2023, EL AL will add a sixth weekly flight on its Miami International Airport to Tel Aviv route. The flight will depart Saturday evenings from Miami at 11:30 pm and arrive at Ben-Gurion airport at 6:30 p.m. the following evening. 

All EL AL flights to and from Florida, including the new service to Fort Lauderdale will be operated with its award-winning B787 Dreamliner aircraft.

In 2022 EL AL carried over 100,000 passengers on more than 450 flights between Miami and Tel Aviv. “As demand for travel continues to increase from Florida to Israel, across all segments, we’re confident that the new service to Fort Lauderdale will exceed our customers’ expectation for service, convenience and value,” Cavaliere added.

For the second year in a row, EL AL has been recognized for offering award-winning in-flight service by the APEX Official Airline Ratings. The survey covered passenger ratings of over one million flights operated by 600 different carriers on five elements of inflight service — seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment, and Wi-Fi — and awarded EL AL a Five Star rating. 

EL AL’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner features the latest amenities including lie-flat seats in Business Class, gourmet meals, and an extensive choice of wines and beverages, as well as complimentary Wi-Fi for the duration of the flight. EL AL’s Premium Class offers Business Class amenities and oversized, comfortable seats with a footrest and extended leg room.