Photo: TJDarmstadt / Wikimedia Commons
Air Canada’s planned return to the Toronto-Tel Aviv route is bringing back a nonstop option, but a new fare comparison suggests that convenience will cost more than last winter. A lastminute.co.il analysis reported by Calcalist’s CTech on November 3 put average December round-trip economy fares from Tel Aviv to Toronto at $1,155, including baggage, about 30% above the roughly $890 reported for December 2025.
For travelers buying tickets, the takeaway is simple: compare the full price of a nonstop flight with a connection. A cheaper ticket may mean a longer journey, and the reported averages are not a quote for your travel dates.
The 30% figure is a comparison in that travel site’s fare check, not an announcement that Air Canada has raised every ticket by 30%. It refers to December economy round trips on this route, not all classes, all months or all flights to Israel.
The return is scheduled for November 30
Air Canada said in its own September 15 notice that it planned to resume year-round service between Toronto Pearson and Tel Aviv on November 30, 2026, with four flights a week using Boeing 787-9 and 787-8 aircraft.
The airline said that decision followed an assessment of operational, safety and security conditions. That earlier route announcement is separate from the November 3 price analysis. Flights have not already resumed, and the fare report does not establish that the schedule cannot change.
CTech reported that the return was brought forward from January 17, 2027. The practical benefit is a nonstop link for travelers who would otherwise need to change planes; it is not proof that nonstop tickets will be the lowest-priced option.
What the comparison found
In the December economy sample, British Airways connecting itineraries averaged $968 and Lufthansa itineraries $990, compared with Air Canada’s $1,155 nonstop average, according to CTech’s account of the lastminute.co.il analysis. Those were about 16% and 14% below the direct option.
Not every connection was cheaper. The same analysis put Delta’s average at $1,270 and Austrian’s at about $1,300. The journeys examined took 13 to 18 hours. A stopover, on its own, is no guarantee of a lower fare.
The business-class gap was larger. The reported average was about $6,700 on Air Canada, against $3,777 on British Airways and $3,870 on Lufthansa. That produced potential savings of roughly $2,900 in the sample, before a traveler weighs the extra journey time and the exact itinerary.
Price is only one part of the ticket
A family may value avoiding a plane change, while a business traveler may decide that a large price gap justifies one. The comparison cannot settle that choice for every passenger. Travel dates, available seats, baggage, changes and refund conditions need to be checked on the actual ticket offered.
The figures above are the third-party analysis as reported November 3, not prices independently quoted by JBizNews or guaranteed current inventory. They should be used as a reason to compare, not as a promise that a particular seat is available at that price.
JBizNews Desk | New York
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