Israel’s national carrier El Al Israel Airlines has announced plans to launch a direct route to Hanoi capital of Vietnam as part of a broader expansion of its global network.

An El Al plane at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel.

The airline said it is entering a new growth phase after nearly three years of focusing on key destinations in Europe, North America and Asia following the outbreak of conflict in October 2023. Under its upcoming development strategy, El Al plans to introduce nine new routes.

From October 2026, the carrier will operate a long-haul direct service linking Tel Aviv and Hanoi. The route is expected to run three round-trip flights per week.

Beginning in March 2027, El Al will also open a new service to Seoul (Republic of Korea), followed by Manila (Philippines) at a later date to be announced, with similar frequencies planned for each destination.

Alongside its long-haul expansion, El Al’s subsidiary Sundor will add six new European destinations from May 24, 2026. These include Copenhagen (Denmark); Sardinia and Sicily (Italy); Zagreb and Dubrovnik (Croatia); and Basel (Switzerland).

The move signals El Al’s transition into a renewed growth cycle after a period of consolidating core routes amid regional security uncertainties.

With the Hanoi service, El Al becomes the second airline to announce the launch of direct flights to Vietnam in 2026, following the inauguration of a Tel Aviv–Hanoi route by Akira earlier this year.

The latest development underscores Vietnam’s growing appeal to international carriers as travel demand and trade exchanges continue to rise.

Industry observers note that new direct connections are expected to further facilitate tourism, business travel and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Israel, as well as strengthen connectivity between Vietnam and the broader Middle East region.

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