American Airlines To End U.S.-Israel Flights That Came With US Airways Merger

American’s Philly-Tel Aviv flights faced competition from El Al and United from JFK.

— Dennis Schaal

American Airlines Inc. plans to halt flights between the U.S. and Israel early next year after determining the route was losing money.

The service between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv was a legacy of US Airways Group Inc., which combined with American in December 2013 to form the world’s largest carrier. American faced competition from New York-based flights operated by United Airlines and El Al Israel Airlines.

“It is strictly a financial decision,” American spokesman Casey Norton said Thursday in a telephone interview. “The route has not been profitable.”

Service to Tel Aviv from Philadelphia will halt on Jan. 4, with the last U.S.-bound return flight a day later, Norton said. Fort Worth, Texas-based American notified 19 employees in Tel Aviv of the decision on Thursday, he said.

“We did our best to make it work, but we couldn’t get it to turn a profit,” Norton said.