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Los Angeles Scoop · Aug 30, 2026

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El Al Heading To San Francisco — United Will Already Have Competition When It Returns The competition for nonstop flights between Israel and the West Coast is heating up. El Al is scheduled to begin nonstop service between Tel Aviv and San Francisco on October 25, operating three times a week. That gives El Al several months on the route before United Airlines resumes its own nonstop SFO–Tel Aviv service on March 28, 2027. That means when United returns to the route in March, it won't have San Francisco–Israel nonstop service to itself. Travelers will already have El Al as another nonstop option. For Los Angeles travelers heading to Israel, the SFO flights could actually be a better option than connecting through Newark, despite more total time in the air. As LA SCOOP previously pointed out, Newark can be quicker overall. But flying United from Hollywood Burbank Airport to SFO and then continuing on United to Tel Aviv changes the equation considerably. Travelers can stay on the same airline while avoiding the traffic, long lines and massive terminals at LAX. For Valley residents, the convenience is especially significant. Hollywood Burbank Airport can be as little as 10 minutes from Valley Village, making it an extremely easy starting point for a trip to Israel. Burbank can also faster to get to than LAX from Hancock Park. Even for Pico-Robertson residents, where Burbank is farther away, avoiding the congestion and long lines at LAX could make the SFO connection attractive. The bigger question for Southern California remains the same: When will another airline like United or Delta finally compete with El Al on nonstop LAX–Tel Aviv service?

*El Al Heading To San Francisco — United Will Already Have Competition When It Returns* The competition for nonstop flights between Israel and the West Coast is heating up. El Al is scheduled to begin nonstop service between Tel Aviv and San Francisco on October 25, operating three times a week. That gives El Al several months on the route before United Airlines resumes its own nonstop SFO–Tel Aviv service on March 28, 2027. That means when United returns to the route in March, it won't have San Francisco–Israel nonstop service to itself. Travelers will already have El Al as another nonstop option. For Los Angeles travelers heading to Israel, the SFO flights could actually be a better option than connecting through Newark, despite more total time in the air. As LA SCOOP previously pointed out, Newark can be quicker overall. But flying United from Hollywood Burbank Airport to SFO and then continuing on United to Tel Aviv changes the equation considerably. Travelers can stay on the same airline while avoiding the traffic, long lines and massive terminals at LAX. For Valley residents, the convenience is especially significant. Hollywood Burbank Airport can be as little as 10 minutes from Valley Village, making it an extremely easy starting point for a trip to Israel. Burbank can also faster to get to than LAX from Hancock Park. Even for Pico-Robertson residents, where Burbank is farther away, avoiding the congestion and long lines at LAX could make the SFO connection attractive. The bigger question for Southern California remains the same: When will another airline like United or Delta finally compete with El Al on nonstop LAX–Tel Aviv service?

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