Summary: EL AL is launching its largest route expansion to date, adding nine destinations over the next year — including new long‑haul services to Hanoi, Seoul and Manila — and growing its direct network to around 60 destinations.

EL AL has announced the most significant growth in its network since the onset of the war, unveiling plans to add nine destinations worldwide over the coming year. The expansion represents a move beyond the airline’s recent focus on reinforcing frequencies to core markets in the East, North America and Europe.

New long‑haul services to Asia

As part of the rollout, EL AL will start direct long‑haul flights to Hanoi (Vietnam), Seoul (South Korea) and Manila (Philippines). Each of these routes is scheduled to operate three times per week and is aimed at serving both leisure and business travellers while strengthening commercial links between Israel and Asian markets.

  • Hanoi: Three weekly long‑haul services; ticket sales begin today at noon; flights start October 2026; round‑trip fares from $899
  • Seoul: Three weekly services; ticket sales expected to begin in May for flights launching March 2027
  • Manila: Three weekly services; commercial details to be announced at a later date

These long‑haul services will be flown using EL AL’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. Cabins on board are planned to include economy, premium economy and business classes, and the carrier said passengers will have onward connection options to additional Asian destinations through partnerships with other airlines.

Network scale and frequency increases

With the new routes, EL AL expects its direct destination count to climb to about 60 — the highest in the airline’s history. The carrier is also increasing frequencies on several busy corridors: North American services will operate up to 55 weekly flights, Japan routes will reach up to five weekly frequencies, and services to Thailand will expand to 16 weekly flights. Overall, EL AL anticipates operating roughly 900 flights per week worldwide.

The airline additionally signalled that more partnership announcements with major global carriers are expected. These alliances are intended to broaden connectivity, increase transfer options and strengthen EL AL’s global reach.

An EL AL aircraft at an international airport illustrating new route launches to Asia and Europe
EL AL is expanding long‑haul connectivity to Asia and adding new European leisure destinations via Sundor.

Sundor adds six European leisure destinations

Alongside the long‑haul growth, Sundor — a leisure carrier within the EL AL Group — will introduce six new European routes. The new summer and leisure destinations include Catania (Sicily) and Cagliari (Sardinia) in Italy, Basel in Switzerland, Zagreb and Dubrovnik in Croatia, and Copenhagen in Denmark. The Copenhagen service marks EL AL’s return to the Danish capital for the first time since 2001 and will be operated under the Sundor brand.

The European expansion is supported by fleet growth and additional leased capacity, including the addition of two Boeing 737 aircraft to the group’s resources.

EL AL said:

“The decision to expand EL AL’s operations at this time is a tangible expression of our unwavering faith in the resilience of the State of Israel and the Israeli economy. We are proud to continue building our aviation infrastructure to ensure that the Israeli flag continues to fly proudly on the tails of our aircraft at major airports worldwide. For us, EL AL is much more than an airline, it is Israel’s vital connection to the world, and we are committed to continuing to lead it toward growth and new strategic achievements.”

Ticketing, timelines and fares

Ticket sales for the Hanoi service opened at noon on the announcement day via EL AL’s website and travel agents, with flights due to start in October 2026 and round‑trip fares advertised from $899. Sales for the Seoul route are planned to start in May ahead of a March 2027 launch, while the carrier said commercial details for the Manila service will be released later.

For travellers, the expansion will provide more non‑stop options to Asia and additional seasonal leisure choices in Europe. For the aviation sector, EL AL’s increase in frequencies and destinations signals a renewed phase of capacity growth and greater connectivity from Israel to key markets.