Airports, Airlines, Aviation

Boston Logan Lands El Al


Cut another notch in the belt for Boston Logan International Airport! In a report released on 11/11, Massport the authority that operates Boston Logan announced they had reached an agreement with El Al Airlines, which will offer three nonstop flights a week to Israel, beginning in June. Today’s count has Boston Logan serving 41 international destination. By landing El Al Airlines, Boston Logan continues to expand its impressive rolodex of international carriers and cementing themselves as a necessary route for international airlines flying to the U.S.

EL AL 767 300
El Al 767-300ER

The Details

According to Ben Mutzabaugh at USA Today Travel, the carrier did not pinpoint an exact start date, but says it plans to start with three weekly Boston-Tel Aviv flights starting in June. If the flights proves successful they will look to expand the schedule to five flights a week. The operating aircraft will be a Boeing 767-300 ER, with 218 seats. It will leave Tel Aviv at 12:30 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday and land in Boston at 5:45 a.m. The flight to Tel Aviv departs from Boston at 9 p.m. that evening and arrives at 3:05 p.m. the next day, according to Massport.

767-300ER Possible Layout
767-300ER Possible Layout   Source:Seatguru

The Boston to Tel Aviv route is awaiting approval by the El Al board of directors, which is scheduled to meet in December. If approval is granted, which is expected, Boston would be El Al’s fourth U.S. destination. The airline already flies to New York JFK, Newark Liberty and Los Angeles. Rumors surrounded El Al’s decision, as this route was hotly contested. Chicago, Miami and San Francisco were also gunning for this route, making the selection to come to Boston even more impressive.

Boston nonstop-circles

Made Possible By

Supposedly the route has been in the works for some time. The owner of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft was an important lobbyist for the route, as he has large personal and business ties to both regions. Boston based company EMC Corp who is also heavily invested in Israel was said to also play a part. There is no denying that Boston has strong business and personal ties to Israel. The Greater Boston area has a large Jewish population and Boston boasts some of the best hospitals, universities and research centers that will interest Isreal people and business. The route can certainly be mutually beneficial for both cities.

Robert Kraft
Robert Kraft

From the standpoint of Boston Logan this is another huge add. In just the past 30 months, the airport has landed new routes to Tokyo, Panama City, Dubai, Istanbul and Beijing. Cathay Pacific also plants to launch nonstop flights to Hong Kong in May. All the additional international routes not only stimulate the local economy but it stimulates the airport. In a time of domestic airline mergers, we are seeing many routes get slashed. The more international destinations and frequencies Boston Logan can add, will have a trickle down effect on the domestic side. You can expect to see more nonstop routes from Boston to other cities in the USA, so that people from other US cities can connect through Boston to international destinations.

The Verdict

The Western Wall
The Western Wall

From a personal standpoint I am excited to see a direct route from Boston to the West Bank. Israel is rich in history and has many natural and man made attractions that bring in tourist from all over the world . El Al has a reputation of one of the safest airlines and Ben Gurion Airport is widely regarded as the worlds most secure airports, which will comfort some but also concern others. There is no denying the on going conflicts in the the region will keep some people away. Whether it be for religious, political or personal reason Isreal might not be top of the list for travelers. As long as the business ties between Boston and Israel stay strong this route has a real good chance of surviving and Boston Logan can continue its string of international route triumphs.


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