El Al Israel Airlines (Tel Aviv) announced today it will begin nonstop service from Tel Aviv to San Francisco in the fourth quarter of 2018. The new route will operate three days a week with the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. El Al will compete against United Airlines.

El Al is planning to add more new long-range routes as more Dreamliners are delivered. El Al has 16 on order.

In other news, El Al is discontinuing its lower fare Up by El Al service to five destinations in Europe. The Up brand will be retired in 2018 and all European flights will be operated under the El Al brand.

The last Up-branded flight will be October 14, 2018. On October 15, 2018 all flights will be operated as El Al flights.

Up offers inexpensive flights to five main European destinations – Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Larnaca and Kiev.

El Al start Up service on March 30, 2014.

The Boeing 737 fleet is also being refurbished and is expected to be finished in 2019.

Top Copyright Photo: El Al Israel Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 4X-EDB (msn 42117) LHR (SPA). Image: 940341.

El Al aircraft slide show:

Up aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Up by El Al (El Al Israel Airlines) Boeing 737-804 WL 4X-EKM (msn 30465) MUC (Arnd Wolf). Image: 922116.