Etihad to make Tel Aviv its busiest route; adds 6th daily flight to Abu Dhabi

Emirati carrier Etihad Airways announced that it will add a sixth daily flight between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi beginning in mid-June, making Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport the airline’s busiest route worldwide with 42 weekly flights.

The expanded schedule means Etihad will operate more daily flights to Tel Aviv than to several major regional and international destinations, including Riyadh, Bangkok and Mumbai. The increase comes amid growing demand from Israeli travelers, with more than 100,000 passengers flying between Israel and Abu Dhabi during the first quarter of 2026 – a 30% increase compared to the same period last year.

Etihad said around 30% of passengers remain in Abu Dhabi as tourists, while roughly 70% continue onward on connecting flights, primarily to destinations across Asia. Due to its geographic location and modern airports, the UAE has become an important global transport hub for passengers flying between Europe, Israel and Asia. The airline reported especially strong growth in demand for flights from Abu Dhabi to Tokyo, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand.

Company data showed particularly strong growth in demand for connecting flights from Abu Dhabi to Asia, with bookings to Tokyo rising 250%. Demand for flights to South Korea increased 80%, while connections to the Philippines and Thailand rose 70% and 30%, respectively.

The United Arab Emirates and Israel established full diplomatic relations as a result of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in September 2020. Dubai and Abu Dhabi quickly became popular destinations for Israeli tourists and businesspeople. One million Israelis visited the UAE only three years after the countries had normalized their diplomatic relations.

Etihad’s decision to expand its flights to Israel comes as several international airlines gradually reconsider their return to the Israeli market following regional tensions linked to the conflict with Iran.

Lufthansa Group announced its plan to resume flights to Israel next month. Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air said it may restart flights this weekend. The European Aviation Safety Agency has moderated its safety recommendations concerning flights to Israel amid the fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States.

Several major international airlines are taking a more cautious approach toward resuming service to Israel.

American Airlines announced that it does not plan to resume flights to Tel Aviv before January 2027. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have also indicated they do not expect to operate flights to Israel during the summer of 2026.

British Airways said it would postpone its return to Tel Aviv until August, while Spain's Iberia flights are reportedly not expected to resume flights until the end of July.