Longest El Al Flight Ever: Nonstops To Argentina Coming This Fall!
South America has been a challenging market for El Al over the years. The Israeli flag carrier ended service to Sao Paulo, Brazil back in 2011 and hasn’t flown to the continent since.
That will change in November, when El Al will add nonstop twice weekly 787-9 Dreamliner service between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The flight will be the longest ever scheduled commercial flight in El Al’s route network at a whopping 7,604 miles, 30 miles longer than the airline’s flight to Los Angeles. It will take some 16.5 hours to fly from Tel Aviv to Buenos Aires and 15.5 hours for the return flight.
Tickets for the route will go on sale next month. The exact flight schedule hasn’t yet been published, pending final approvals.
Onward connections from Buenos Aires throughout South America will be possible via codeshares on SkyTeam’s Aerolineas Argentinas.
The route is made possible thanks to El Al’s Dreamliner fleet expansion.
Buenos Aires is home to nearly a quarter of a million Jews, making it by far the largest Jewish population in the diaspora without a nonstop flight to the Holy Land.
The community is one of the lesser affluent Jewish communities in the world, which likely explains why the route hasn’t been tried until now. But with a strong friend of Israel, Javier Milei, as the President of Argentina, it’s no surprise to see the route being tested now. With the strong Shekel, I’m sure we’ll also see outbound tourists and business connections made from Israel to Argentina.
I’ve been to Buenos Aires several times and love it. There’s a very good kosher food scene and Argentine dining is known for its meat, though there are also some truly incredible gelato stores and bakeries, plus lots to see and explore. Read more in my 2012 trip notes, 2018 trip notes, and on the Argentina Master Thread on DDF.
I’ve also used it as a base before flying off to the most impressive waterfalls in the world at Iguazu Falls (read more on DDF), stunning Patagonia, and Ushuaia, launching point for expeditions to the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), and Antarctica.
Will you fly on this new route? Do you think it will withstand the test of time?
