Summary: El Al is adding nine new direct flights in 2026–2027, including long-haul services to Hanoi, Seoul and Manila plus seasonal leisure routes through Sun d’Or to several European cities.

El Al direct flights are set to grow substantially as Israel’s flag carrier announced a nine-route expansion across Europe and Asia for 2026 and 2027. The programme combines new long-haul services to Asian capitals with seasonal leisure links operated by Sun d’Or, El Al’s holiday-focused unit, widening direct connectivity for both business and leisure travellers.

Overview of the expansion

The carrier revealed plans to add three long-haul routes to Asia — Hanoi, Seoul and Manila — and six European seasonal or leisure services through Sun d’Or. The rollout begins in October 2026 and continues into 2027, reflecting El Al’s strategy to capture demand across both intercontinental and holiday markets.

New long-haul routes to Asia

El Al will introduce direct services to three Asian capitals. These long-haul routes are intended to boost intercontinental connectivity for business and tourism between Israel and Southeast/East Asia.

  • Hanoi, Vietnam — Launching October 2026. This will be El Al’s first direct service to Vietnam and will operate three times weekly on the Boeing 787. Tickets will be sold from $899 round-trip and the aircraft will offer economy, premium and business classes.
  • Seoul, South Korea — Launching March 2027. The Seoul route will operate three times weekly on the Boeing 787. Ticket sales are scheduled to begin in May 2026.
  • Manila, Philippines — Launch date to be announced. El Al plans a three-times-weekly Boeing 787 service for its first-ever direct link to the Philippines.
El Al aircraft on the tarmac as the airline expands direct flights to Europe and Asia
El Al is expanding its network with new direct services to Asia and seasonal European destinations

Sun d’Or adds seasonal leisure links across Europe

Sun d’Or will operate six new seasonal routes to popular European leisure and city destinations, focusing on Mediterranean islands and culturally rich cities to capture holiday demand from Israel.

  • Catania, Sicily (Italy) — From October 2026, two to three weekly flights on Boeing 737; fares start from $389 round-trip.
  • Cagliari, Sardinia (Italy) — From October 2026, two to three weekly flights on Boeing 737; fares start from $339 round-trip.
  • Basel, Switzerland — From October 2026, twice-weekly Boeing 737 flights; fares start from $439 round-trip.
  • Zagreb, Croatia — From October 2026, twice-weekly Boeing 737 flights; fares start from $339 round-trip.
  • Dubrovnik, Croatia — From October 2026, twice-weekly Boeing 737 flights; fares start from $339 round-trip.
  • Copenhagen, Denmark — From October 2026, twice-weekly Boeing 737 flights; fares start from $529 round-trip. Copenhagen returns to El Al’s network for the first time since 2001.

Bigger network and higher frequencies

Alongside the nine new routes, El Al plans to increase frequencies on its core long-haul and regional services. The airline is operating its largest-ever schedule to North America with up to 55 weekly flights across the US and Canada. In Asia, El Al will expand services to Japan and Thailand, with up to five weekly flights to Tokyo and 16 weekly flights to Bangkok.

El Al also signalled forthcoming partnerships with international carriers to broaden connections via codeshares and interline agreements, aiming to give customers smoother access to markets in South America, Africa and beyond.

What this means for travellers and the industry

The new direct flights will simplify travel between Israel and several growing tourist and business markets. For travellers, the expansion offers more non-stop options, shorter trip times and increased competition on fares. For the aviation and tourism sectors, these routes could boost inbound and outbound tourism flows and strengthen commercial links with Southeast Asia and multiple European leisure destinations.

So what? The network additions mean travellers from Israel will have direct access to new holiday and business hubs, while residents of Hanoi, Seoul, Manila and several European cities gain convenient non-stop links to Israel. Increased frequencies to North America and Asia also point to a busier travel season ahead and more options for connecting itineraries.