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Sun d'Or, the airline's leisure carrier, is also expected to boost its presence. If EL AL expands to Seattle, it will be the first time the airline serves the city, and it will become the seventh US gateway, joining Boston Logan, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New Jersey, New York John F. Kennedy airports, and Fort Lauderdale, which is set to take off in September 2021.
Sabre data from 2009 shows that over 36,000 passengers traveled between Seattle and Tel Aviv, indicating demand from the US west coast. San Francisco, another important market, currently has a one-stop itinerary to Tel Aviv. EL AL's expansion plans have been made possible by neighboring countries relaxing flyover rules, including Saudi Arabia and Oman, which have reduced flights to Asia by up to two hours for the airline. EL AL launched its Tokyo Narita route in March and will add New Delhi to its route map in October. Manila and Melbourne will become the airline's first non-stop services to these nations, with Melbourne's longest route at 8,538 miles.
EL AL recently signed a letter of intent with the state of Victoria to launch the anticipated Melbourne service by June 2024, initially serving the city three times a week. If this connection is established, it could provide up to 44,000 direct seats per year and bring up to AU $48 million ($31 million) into the Victorian economy. Sun d'Or will also operate seasonal routes connecting Tel Aviv and Paphos, Tivat, and Ljubliana by the end of the year, with plans to expand to Istanbul, Porto, Naples, and Zagreb. EL AL aims to increase its fleet from 16 to 22 787 Dreamliners and from 28 to 31 737-800s to facilitate its ambition of carrying seven million passengers by 2028, up from 5.5 million in the last year.