El Al is stretching its wings to the bottom of the world. Israel’s flag carrier has announced its longest-ever scheduled route: a 7,604-mile nonstop from Tel Aviv to Buenos Aires, operated by Boeing 787 Dreamliners with three classes of service. At 16.5 hours outbound, it will be the most ambitious flight in the airline’s 78-year history — and it comes with a $6.6 million government subsidy to make it work. Flights are expected to launch in December 2026, with twice-weekly service connecting Israel’s only international airport to Argentina’s Ezeiza. Ticket sales open in May.

Un pont entre deux continents

The route has been a white whale for El Al. Argentina is home to the largest Jewish community in Latin America — roughly 180,000 people — and the demand for direct service has been persistent for decades. But the economics have always been daunting. The distance pushes the Dreamliner near its operational limits, the market is seasonal, and the detour around African airspace (El Al avoids overflying several countries for security reasons) adds fuel costs. The Israeli government’s NIS 20 million subsidy — spread over three years — is designed to bridge the gap between operational cost and ticket revenue during the route’s riskiest startup phase. It is an explicit bet that once established, the route will sustain itself through a combination of diaspora travel, tourism, and business connections.

The Isaac Accords Connection

The announcement coincided with the signing of the Isaac Accords between Israel and Argentina — a framework agreement strengthening bilateral ties in trade, technology, and cultural exchange. The naming echoes the Abraham Accords that normalised Israel’s relations with several Arab states, and the direct air link is presented as a tangible benefit of deeper diplomatic engagement. El Al already operates a pair of COMAC C909 regional jets leased from partner airlines, but the Buenos Aires route represents a fundamentally different challenge: ultra-long-haul operations on a thin route, sustained by a combination of government support and community demand.

The Dreamliner Makes It Possible

This route would not have been viable a generation ago. The 787 Dreamliner’s composite airframe, fuel-efficient engines, and cabin pressurisation at a lower effective altitude (6,000 feet versus 8,000 feet on older aircraft) were designed specifically for long, thin routes that widebody jets like the 747 or A340 made economically impossible. El Al’s Dreamliners are configured with Business, Premium, and Economy cabins. At 16.5 hours, passengers will spend nearly a full waking day on board — making the premium cabin offering a critical differentiator. The return flight, benefiting from prevailing winds, shaves an hour off the journey. For El Al, Buenos Aires completes a network that already spans from New York to Bangkok. For Argentina’s Jewish community, it means a nonstop connection to Israel that was previously available only via European connections or the old Aerolíneas Argentinas routing through Rome. For the airline industry, it is another data point in the Dreamliner’s quiet revolution: making routes possible that geography once forbade.

Sources: AeroTime, Globes, Times of Israel, Simple Flying