United Airlines reportedly transports military cargo to Israel on passenger flights

Reports indicate that United Airlines has resumed transporting military-related cargo to Israel on regularly scheduled passenger flights. Following the resumption of service between Newark and Tel Aviv, data analyzed by The Intercept suggests that passenger flights are once again being used to carry shipments destined for defense contractors.

According to research conducted by various advocacy groups using publicly accessible cargo documents, United Airlines reportedly carried 2,761 military-related shipments across 160 passenger flights between July 2025 and February 2026. These shipments included components for F-35 fighter jets and armored vehicles. A significant portion of the cargo, totaling 2,070 shipments, was destined for Elbit Systems or its subsidiaries.

Specific recent shipments identified include cargo destined for Elbit Systems’ electro-optics division in Rehovot, Elbit Systems Land in Ramat Hasharon, and a facility in Karmiel. At least one shipment was marked “FMS,” signifying it was part of the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. United Airlines, Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin, and Israel’s Ministry of Defense have not provided comments regarding these findings.