Bronx Congressmember Ritchie Torres (D-NY) has accused the “Big Three” US airlines of boycotting the State of Israel.
Torres sent a letter on Wednesday (Aug 28) to the CEOs of American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines to “express concern” about their months-long suspension of service to Israel. The letter was first seen by Jewish Insider.
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“The lack of competition has made air travel to Israel less available and less affordable, putting customers at the mercy of a de facto monopoly that can easily gouge prices with impunity,” Torres wrote in the letter sent to American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, Delta CEO Ed Bastian and United CEO Scott Kirby.
The airlines halted their flights to Israel shortly after Gaza’s Hamas terrorist organization launched its war against Israel on October 7, 2023.
Torres contends the airlines imposed the ban independently of any order from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The agency imposed a 36-hour ban on US carriers flying to Israel in 2014, during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge war with Hamas.
“It is one thing to temporarily suspend air travel to Israel on security grounds as defined by the FAA. But to unilaterally suspend air travel indefinitely until mid-2025, as American Airlines has done, has the practical effect of a boycott,” the Bronx Democrat wrote.
United has suspended its flights to Israel indefinitely. American Airlines has suspended its flights to the Jewish State through March 29, 2025. Delta has announced its flights are suspended through October 31.
“Given the arbitrary length of the suspension, one could be forgiven for thinking that the BDS movement has taken over the American aviation industry without anyone noticing, much less crying foul,” Torres wrote.
At this point, Israel’s national carrier, El Al Airlines, is the sole airline offering direct flights from the US to Israel.
“By what logic and in in what universe is it safe for El Al to travel to Israel, but too dangerous for American Airlines, Delta and United to do so,” Torres wrote.
The pro-Israel lawmaker also noted that regional carriers such as FlyDubai, Etihad and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi are continuing their flights to Israel without incident.
