Jerusalem Post columnist calls Rome and Athens hubs for flights from Israel to North America
In Israel, Rome and Athens have effectively become important transfer points for passengers flying to North America, according to Jerusalem Post columnist Elliott Cohen. In an article published on September 5, 2026, he jokingly suggests calling Rome Fiumicino Airport and Athens International Airport “terminals four and five” of Ben Gurion Airport.
Limited direct flights
The author links the popularity of transfers in Rome and Athens to the absence of U.S. airlines on flights to Israel. According to him, in summer, direct flights from Ben Gurion to North America operated only to New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Boston.
According to figures cited in the column, the price of an economy-class ticket for a direct summer flight to New York remained at around $2,500. The cheapest tickets to the other mentioned cities cost more than $6,000, while seats on flights were scarce. Cohen also noted that due to the prolonged absence of Delta, United, American and Air Canada, passengers lost direct connections to the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago and Canada.
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Transfers through Europe
Rome Fiumicino Airport, with the code FCO, and Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos, with the code ATH, are served by Israeli, European and low-cost airlines. According to the author’s calculations, direct flights to another 11 North American cities are available from these airports, operated by seven airlines.
Cohen estimates the cost of round-trip transatlantic flights from these European airports at approximately $1,000. He advises passengers who independently combine tickets from different carriers to allow sufficient time between flights and take into account the need to collect their luggage in Rome or Athens.
In the author’s view, a transfer can be combined with a short trip around the city or an overnight stay near the airport. He also writes about the expected gradual return of U.S. carriers to flights to Israel, but believes that stops in Rome or Athens may continue to be an option for travel to North America.
