With American ending its route between Miami and Tel Aviv, EL AL is using the opportunity to expand in South Florida, as noted by DansDeals.
In this post:
EL AL’s new Tel Aviv to Fort Lauderdale route
EL AL already flies between Tel Aviv (TLV) and Miami (MIA) using Boeing 787s. The airline will now be adding service to a second airport in South Florida — Fort Lauderdale (FLL). The airline will be gradually ramping up this service.
EL AL will first offer a total of six roundtrip flights between Tel Aviv and Fort Lauderdale in September and October 2023, over popular holiday travel periods. Specifically, on September 13, 20, 27, and October 5, 10, and 12, the airline will operate the following flights, which are already on sale:
LY21 Tel Aviv to Fort Lauderdale departing 1:00AM arriving 7:30AM
LY22 Fort Lauderdale to Tel Aviv departing 9:00PM arriving 4:05PM (+1 day)
The 6,584-mile flight is blocked at 13hr30min westbound and 12hr5min eastbound. The flight will be operated by a Boeing 787-8, featuring 238 seats. This includes 20 business class seats, 35 premium economy seats, and 183 economy seats.
The plan is then for the service to operate on a regularly scheduled, year-round basis, as of the spring of 2024. The exact details of frequencies and the launch date haven’t yet been revealed.
It’s great to see EL AL expanding in South Florida
There’s quite a bit of traffic between Israel and South Florida. There’s demand in both directions — there are plenty of people in South Florida with ties to Israel, and lots of Israelis who want to vacation in South Florida.
EL AL has flown between Tel Aviv and Miami for many years. American launched the route as well as of June 2021, though will be terminating the route as of March 2023. That caught many people off guard.
It’s not entirely clear if American has been losing money on its Miami to Tel Aviv route, or if it just decided that the Boeing 787 could be utilized more profitably in another market, especially with Asia now opening on a widespread basis.
Given the demand that exists, it’s great to see EL AL looking to expand. Many will also appreciate that EL AL is looking to serve a second airport in South Florida, rather than just adding more flights to Miami. Fort Lauderdale is a more convenient option for many.
The airport also generally has lower fees for airlines, though I imagine those savings are largely wiped out by splitting operations, which isn’t as efficient in terms of economies of scale.
Bottom line
EL AL will be expanding in South Florida, with a new Tel Aviv to Fort Lauderdale route. This will initially operate just six times roundtrip in September and October, before being operated year-round starting in the spring of 2024. With American pulling out of the Miami to Tel Aviv market, it’s good to see EL AL now adding capacity.
What do you make of EL AL adding Tel Aviv to Fort Lauderdale flights?
Lucky, being so close to FLL... You have to review the inaugural!
Wonder if FLL is prepared for it because I would think that flight requires extra security.
We make about 3 trips a year to Israel from South Florida and live equidistant to both airports. We always prefer FLL and are very excited that ElAl will not be able to give us service from FLL to TLV-
Do you mean "We always prefer FLL and are very excited that ELAL will (not NOT) be able to give us service from FLL to TLV--
I live 15 minutes away from FLL so I am thrilled. The schlep to MIA is horrendous.
But with FLL being so MASSIVELY over-crowded with hours long delays both for flights as well as even being able to deplane due to hours of backups in immigration, this won't end well for passengers. Avoid the hellhole FLL at all cost. There's just nothing good at all about FLL and hasn't been for years. MIA is a real airport and designed to handle widebodies. FLL can't even handle narrowbodies. Not to mention no real...
But with FLL being so MASSIVELY over-crowded with hours long delays both for flights as well as even being able to deplane due to hours of backups in immigration, this won't end well for passengers. Avoid the hellhole FLL at all cost. There's just nothing good at all about FLL and hasn't been for years. MIA is a real airport and designed to handle widebodies. FLL can't even handle narrowbodies. Not to mention no real restaurants, no decent lounges, LOW ceilings with SHOUTING announcements mere inches from your head, terminal-wide boarding announcements, and nothing but long lines to get junk food at best. Only one restroom set per concourse. I could go on and on about how awful the place is. Getting stuck there for a delay is truly hell. With multiple connected terminals it's not 'as' bad as before as you have more junk opportunities versus just a dunkin donuts as the only option as it was for years. Truly a miserable airport. Guaranteed crowds and guaranteed delays.
Which Fort Lauderdale airport do you go too?
I live in Broward myself and although I know MIA at times to be a necessary evil for certain airlines I need to fly, I honestly prefer flying out of FLL. The airport has taken drastic steps to improve the terminals within the past few years. I know at one point yes Dunkin was the only option in Terminal 2, or the terminal I use the most...
Which Fort Lauderdale airport do you go too?
I live in Broward myself and although I know MIA at times to be a necessary evil for certain airlines I need to fly, I honestly prefer flying out of FLL. The airport has taken drastic steps to improve the terminals within the past few years. I know at one point yes Dunkin was the only option in Terminal 2, or the terminal I use the most Terminal 3 didn't have a ton of options. But it has gotten significantly better and FLL can handle widebodies.
FLL to TLV already makes sense, but especially for El Al, considering that most of the Jewish community is closer to FLL than MIA.
We r REALLY happy
Doesn't fall a focus city for jet blue with the partnership for ly I can see more connection traffic in fll than mia
Honestly it is great they are adding flights and I do prefer Ft. Lauderdale but it is almost the same . When you do plan a trip that long weather it leave from Fll or Mia doesn’t make much of a difference.
The bad part is that they have a monopoly now on the non stop flight . I would encourage DELTA to start that route as well .
American canceling Miami TLV is outrageous
Florida is called “ the red neck riviera for a reason”. But great for the Jewish community. Great way to leave Florida that is, to go someplace much better.
It’s a great thing we don’t have to go to Miami when you live in Fort Lauderdale or in South Florida it’s crazy so I’m not happy Is it going to start in September Not earlier.
And brussels? Your flights to and from brussels were Always full
Why no Philadelphia flight
We get no love. “No one likes us, and we don’t care.”
I’d love to see any airline add PHL-TLV route. I flew AA/USAIR for years. Now I drive to Newark and fly UA.
At the same time EL AL will fly from Tel Aviv to Istanbul with Sun d’or brand after almost 20 years. ISRAIR starts flights to Istanbul tomorrow. And Arkia will follow them.
Aircraft utilization is not great. Plane sits on the ground at FLL for 14 hours, which will eat into the operating margins of this flight.
I love the amateur airline route planners on OMAAT!
Not to mention those never in doubt armchair CEOs.
Lolllllll
From the perspective of someone from South Florida what is the difference between these two airports?
Having lived down there, and also working a charity there, they are seen as different worlds. As an example, the charity has an event in South Florida every year... and whether it is in Opa Locka or Boca is widely different attendees. Most people living Palm Beach or north won't go to Miami. They'd connect on El Al through NYC before driving to Miami. They will go to FLL though, which they do to fly...
Having lived down there, and also working a charity there, they are seen as different worlds. As an example, the charity has an event in South Florida every year... and whether it is in Opa Locka or Boca is widely different attendees. Most people living Palm Beach or north won't go to Miami. They'd connect on El Al through NYC before driving to Miami. They will go to FLL though, which they do to fly back to the northeast. I know people in Boca, Lantana, etc., who have lived there 20 years and haven't been to Miami in a decade.
I think FLL will do well for El Al, perhaps a few times a week. They are going to draw much further north, probably even further than Jupiter. I'm serious when I say currently they'd rather drive to PBI or MCO and connect in Newark than keep going south on 95.
Further to this though. How far is that drive? In terms of irop can you easily shuttle passengers between airports?
Really curious to know how posting this as a question here is better/quicker/more effective than Google mapping it?
Hahah. Well I can google the distance but more interested in peoples local knowledge whether this would actually work / other airlines swap people between these airports. See above re certain peoples concerns and opinions regarding one airport or the other.
I like it though. You must be a very curious person! That’s good
@NedsKid You are spot on. Also, they'll probably pull a decent amount of pax from Aventura/Bal Harbor. Popular area for Israelis and FLL is a bit closer for them than MIA. For those who live/vacation there, pretty great to have two airports/flights to choose from, both within a 40 minute drive
Definitely. I know Aventura if you go up US1 through Hallandale and Hollywood is probably 15-20 minutes versus getting on I-95 and taking the Airport Expressway to MIA which would normally take 40-45 minutes.
And if there are IRROPS, the distance between both airports isn't really a lot, but at times the traffic is horrendous getting from S. Broward (I live in Hollywood) getting down to MIA can take anywhere from 30 minutes on a...
Definitely. I know Aventura if you go up US1 through Hallandale and Hollywood is probably 15-20 minutes versus getting on I-95 and taking the Airport Expressway to MIA which would normally take 40-45 minutes.
And if there are IRROPS, the distance between both airports isn't really a lot, but at times the traffic is horrendous getting from S. Broward (I live in Hollywood) getting down to MIA can take anywhere from 30 minutes on a really really good day to over an hour and a half. Where as flying out of FLL from my house at most takes 15 minutes.