El Al Israel Airlines will buy up to 12 more Boeing 787 Dreamliners in a deal worth about $1.5 billion, the airline said on April 16, 2026.
The move comes as El Al seeks to expand long-haul capacity after strengthening its position in the Israeli market during the wars in Gaza and Iran.
El Al said it is exercising an option to buy six more 787-9s and converting four previously planned aircraft to the larger 787-10 variant. Those aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2030 and 2032. The carrier also secured options to buy up to six additional 787s for delivery between 2033 and 2035.
The order would further expand a Dreamliner fleet that has become central to El Al’s long-haul network. El Al currently operates seventeen 787s and expects that number to reach 28 by the end of the decade. If the airline takes all of the newly secured options, the fleet could eventually grow to 34.
El Al Chief Executive Levy Halevy told Reuters the fleet expansion would increase capacity and improve efficiency. The airline said it would review financing options closer to the delivery dates.
The move extends El Al’s long-standing commitment to Boeing aircraft. The airline has operated an all-Boeing fleet since its founding in 1948. Reuters noted that El Al had lost market share in earlier years as foreign carriers flew newer aircraft while the Israeli airline continued operating older 767s, 747s and 777s.
That picture changed markedly during the conflicts in Gaza and Iran. With many foreign airlines suspending service to Israel for long stretches, El Al captured a dominant share of traffic to and from the country.
The airline posted net profit of $545 million in 2024 and $410 million in 2025, though it also faced criticism from passengers over high fares during periods when competition thinned.
The latest Dreamliner deal builds on earlier fleet commitments. El Al signed a $1.25 billion deal with Boeing in 2016 for an initial fifteen 787s. In 2024, the airline bought three more 787-9s with options for six additional aircraft and also signed a separate agreement for up to 30 Boeing 737 MAX narrowbodies worth as much as $2.5 billion.
