TORONTO — El Al’s first route for its Dreamliner fleet is scheduled for September between Tel Aviv and Los Angeles. The airline’s new partnership with Porter Airlines was also highlighted at a recent breakfast seminar in Toronto.

By the end of 2017 three more Dreamliner aircrafts are expected to be in service. The aircraft will replace the 767s on the Toronto-Tel Aviv route with an expected 15-30% passenger increase.

“El Al did its biggest purchase in the history of the company of 16 Dreamliner aircrafts,” said Jacob Mazgaonkar, sales and marketing representative for El Al Canada. “We bought eight 787-8 and eight 787-9 (with a potential) clause that it could buy more of the aircraft in the future, if needed.”

Over the next four years El Al’s current fleet of 747-400 and 767 aircrafts will be replaced with the new 787s. It will service medium and long haul destinations including Toronto, New York and Boston.

The massive purchase will give the airline not only a chance to grow but to open new destinations and new markets.

Flights in North America are increasing in terms of both new routes and new partnerships. El Al will be servicing new direct flights from Boston to Tel Aviv and Los Angeles to Tel Aviv. From Toronto to Tel Aviv, in wide body planes, there are three direct flights in winter and at least four in summer.

From JFK, in high season, they will continue with three flights per day along with additional direct flights from Newark.

El Al’s partners continue to grow as well. Toronto passengers can now fly Porter, the newest partner for the airline, to Newark before continuing to Tel Aviv. WestJet services all Canadian gateways to connect in Toronto for a direct flight to Tel Aviv. Vancouver clients can fly with Cathay with a stopover in New York then to Tel Aviv, or with Alaska Airlines for a stopover in Los Angeles before arriving in Tel Aviv.

Current markets exist out of Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg with the potential to open more U.S. markets in Miami and Chicago.