TEL AVIV — El Al will begin operating a direct flight between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires in November, with service running twice a week. The carrier opened bookings for the route on May 7.
The route covers 12,000 kilometres (7,460 miles), and the journey will take 16.5 hours. Because Israeli planes are banned from the airspace of several African nations, including Libya, the flight path must detour over the Mediterranean and the Atlantic oceans.
The Israeli government granted El Al a subsidy of 20 million shekels, spread over three years, to support the route. The Israeli transport ministry warned that pulling Boeing 787 Dreamliners from U.S. routes to service Buenos Aires could increase ticket prices for Israelis traveling to North America.
According to Sabre data, roughly 55,300 people traveled between Israel and Argentina in 2025, a 37 percent increase from 2024. The 2025 figure remains below the 71,200 passengers recorded in 2019, also according to Sabre data. Argentina's Jewish community is the largest in Latin America, estimated at up to 300,000 people.
Ihab Jabarin, an analyst specialising in Israeli affairs, framed the new route as serving purposes beyond tourism and family travel. "This flight is not just about transporting passengers; it is a permanent corridor for security and tech businessmen," Jabarin said.
He also said, "Latin America is now appearing in Israeli calculations as a more politically flexible space compared to rights-focused Europe."
The launch follows a celebratory event in occupied East Jerusalem at which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Argentina's President Javier Milei. The influx of Israeli tourists to Argentina, many of whom are recently discharged soldiers, has caused friction in southern Argentina.