Jewish Atlanta Celebrates Delta’s ATL-TLV Restart

A very high-flying deal indeed! On Jan. 20, a powerful mix of dynamic business-oriented leaders met in Buckhead for a reception to celebrate the resumption of Delta’s Atlanta-Tel Aviv nonstop direct flight, which translates to the reopening of the Southeast’s direct link to Israel. This was all in coordination with the Consulate General of Israel, Delta Air Lines, and the Zalik Foundation.

David Zalik addressed the group, “This creates an incredible opportunity for economic development for our state, the Southeast, and Israel.” He further praised Gov. Brian Kemp’s efforts herein and noted that “Delta Air Lines is everyone’s favorite.” Prior to COVID, this direct flight was active.

The Jan. 20 event emphasized the amount of energy it took to get the flight route re-instated. Zalik opened with the excited calls he has received since the flight announcement.

“Why right after Passover?” they posed. It’s actually three years before Passover 2029.”

Zalik noted that he started the Georgia Israel Business Alliance on Jan. 1 and was busy pitching C-level executives to sign on for flights beginning April 15 and has gotten 100 percent “Yes” responses.”

Zalik sees long-term viability that should make Israeli companies look at Georgia as a hub for major activities. He gave examples of chief innovation officers and chief technology officers, some in niches like healthcare, looking to include Atlanta in their strategies. He noted that although religious tourism for Christians and Jews is a valuable growth area, business was truly his focus.

Consul General to the Southeast, Eitan Weiss, mentioned that he met his wife because of El-Al Air Lines where they were both flight attendants. He relayed, “The return of this direct flight showcases the importance Delta sees here; and Israel has increased confidence in Atlanta with plans to triple the size of the consulate here, which is small and outdated. Overall, this is an amazing feat!”

Peter Carter, executive vice president for Delta’s external affairs, addressed the group beginning with Delta experiencing its 100th anniversary in 2025; and that Delta was the very first U.S. airline.

He shared, “We’re not focused on the past, we’re focused on the future which includes international markets and the Middle East … and Israel is the largest democracy, or the only democracy, in the Middle East. Delta is a key partner, not only connecting people to places, but people to each other.”

The new route, three days per week, will have new equipment, more seats than any other airplane, and upscale private suite — like accommodations where “you can sleep like a baby.”

Carter added, “El Al is a partner with Delta and vice versa … We had to make sure that everything was secure; and David [Zalik] reminded us that the community was ready. We heard a lot from David early and often,” he said while laughing. “I’m not bragging exactly because we don’t decide routes by petition, but Zalik gave us a ‘love letter’ with 8,000 signatures. This will be our flagship equipment.”

Lorin Maugery, minister of Israeli tourism for the Southern District, said that he was looking to the future to assure that these flights were full, He stated that 1.3 million foreign visitors come to Israel each year. They are planning an event, Rediscover Israel Roadshow, on March 16 to promote updates on the latest tourism in Israel.

Dr. Loretta Daniels, executive director of the education collaborative TAG Institute, has global reach. One of her goals is to work on the development of entrepreneurship. She told the AJT that she had recently escorted a group of non-Jewish tech leaders to Israel, and said, “Americans just know what they see on TV. I now know firsthand what happens, and what happened on Oct. 7, in Israel, and what the country has to do to protect itself.”

Dr. Daniels’ daughter is Ashley Garrett, director of communication and strategic affairs for the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.

During the reception, Alli Medoff, co-founder of the Georgia Solidarity Network, said, “This is not just a win for Georgia, but also a huge development for Israel and its economic connection to the Southeast. We’ve been working on reinstating this flight since 2024.”