Israel and Argentina to Start Direct Flights in November

El Al opened bookings on May 7 for a direct service between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires. The twice-weekly flights will cover 12,000 kilometres in 16.5 hours. The route requires a detour over the Mediterranean and Atlantic because Israeli aircraft are barred from several African airspaces.

To offset costs, the Israeli government will provide El Al with a 20-million-shekel subsidy spread over three years.

The service follows a meeting last month in occupied East Jerusalem where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Javier Milei announced the route. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee attended the event. The two governments have described the flights as part of a broader framework for security and technology cooperation with Latin American countries.

Passengers currently fly via European hubs, taking 21 to 33 hours. The direct route would eliminate those stops. Prime Minister Netanyahu also faces an ICC warrant related to the Gaza conflict.

55,300 people travelled between the two countries in 2025, up 37 percent from 2024 but below the 2019 total of 71,200. Argentina's Jewish community numbers up to 300,000.