Israel’s flagship airline, El Al (plane pictured), is now operating direct flights from Boston to Tel Aviv. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – The first direct Boston-Tel Aviv flight in 30 years, operated by the Israeli flagship airline El Al, departed on Sunday. The new route, which will operate three flights per week, allows nearly 70,000 people who last year flew to Israel through a connection in New York to board direct flights to the Jewish state.

The new flights will not only benefit the large number travelers interested in flying directly from Boston to Israel, but is also a boon for business ties between Israel and the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

“There are 200 companies that have facilities in both Massachusetts and Israel,” Massachusetts Port Authority CEO Thomas Glynn told the Jerusalem Post.

“There has been a lot of affirmative efforts by Massachusetts to increase trade with Israel,” added state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack.

To mark the new direct route, Boston’s Logan International Airport now has an Israeli flag hanging from the ceiling of its international terminal.

“Massachusetts stands by Israel,” Pollack said, addressing a crowd of people who came to celebrate the flight route’s launch on Sunday.

El Al CEO David Maimon called the new flights “a historic moment for El Al.”