Wedoany.com Report on Feb 13th, Israel's national airline, El Al, recently announced its first major route expansion since October 2023, adding nine new destinations in Asia and Europe. This expansion will bring the airline's network to a record 60 destinations, with three of the new Asian routes particularly highlighting the company's focus on the leisure travel market.

According to the plan, El Al will launch services to Hanoi in October 2025, to Seoul in March 2027, and will start Manila flights at a future date. All these routes will operate three times weekly using Boeing 787 aircraft.

In the Asian market, El Al's economy class fares start from $899 roundtrip for Vietnam, complementing its existing network which includes 16 weekly flights to Thailand and 5 weekly flights to Japan. Currently, the airline already serves cities in Asia including Delhi, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Tokyo.

For the European expansion, El Al's subsidiary, Sundor, will operate seasonal services covering six destinations, from May 24 to October 24, 2026. The routes include Copenhagen—marking El Al's return to Denmark after 25 years—as well as locations in Sicily, Sardinia, Switzerland, and Croatia. These European routes will use Boeing 737 aircraft, with economy class roundtrip fares ranging from $339 to $529.

This route expansion comes as El Al faces legal scrutiny. The company is under investigation for alleged pricing issues during the conflict and faces a $600 million class-action lawsuit accusing it of exploiting specific market conditions. Nevertheless, the announcement of these new routes demonstrates the resilience of Israel's aviation industry. El Al currently operates a record 55 weekly flights to North America, indicating sustained demand for connectivity.