American to End Service to Tel Aviv in 2016

American Airlines announced plans to discontinue its sole flight to Israel come next year.

The flight, which links Philadelphia with Tel Aviv, has been in existence for six years and started as a US Airways route. In explaining the reasons for the cancellation, the airline said that the route has never turned a profit and had lost over $20 million in the past year alone.

“The route has not been profitable,” the airline said in a statement.

Currently US Airways operates that flight once a day using an Airbus A330-200 airliner.

This is not the first time American is discontinuing service to Tel Aviv. After acquiring Trans World Airlines’ assets in bankruptcy in 2001, American discontinued service to Israel. According to newspaper reports at the time, the move left over 75 people without jobs and pension benefits.  The situation spurred a nine-year legal battle between the former TWA employees and American, which was settled five years ago in court.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)