Israir (TASE: ISRG) has acquired a license to function flights from Tel Aviv to New York. The airline joins fellow Israeli carriers El Al, which operates 28 weekly flights to New York and Arkia, which operates 5 weekly flights on the route. Subsequent week, US service United Airways will resume flights on the Tel Aviv – New York route with 14 weekly flights – recommencing a service that was halted originally of Could after a missile fired by the Houthi rebels in Yemen fell within the grounds of Ben Gurion airport.
In April Israir introduced that it had acquired a short lived license from the US Division of Transport. The Israeli airline advised “Globes” then that it anticipated to function flights on the Tel Aviv – New York route “from Passover 2026, and maybe earlier.”
The explanation for the delay, Israir then claimed, was that the Israeli airline plans to function Airbus A330 plane that it’ll lease on a “dry” lease, with the corporate’s personal flight and upkeep crews, and due to this fact it relies on the provision of the plane, and the preparation is anticipated to be lengthy. Estimates are that the variety of Israir’s weekly flights might be considerably decrease than the common airways working on this route.
Israir’s benefit
The benefit of Israir, which is managed by Rami Levy, lies within the working mannequin it’s planning, a “dry” lease – leasing a overseas plane whereas utilizing the corporate’s personal Israeli flight and upkeep crews. That is not like Arkia, which operates the route on a “moist” lease – a overseas plane with overseas crews.
In the course of the conflict, one of many primary causes that has precipitated overseas airways to droop operations in Israel was the refusal of overseas crews to come back to the nation. With the “dry” lease, Israir ensures extra impartial and versatile working capability even in instances of disaster, not like Arkia, which can encounter operational difficulties if overseas crews chorus from flying to Israel.
Up to now 18 months, US airways haven’t operated reliably in Israel, and demand to fly to North America has exceeded provide. Delta Airways shouldn’t be anticipated to return earlier than the start of September and American Airways has not introduced a date that it’s returning.
At first of the conflict, El Al was the one airline working flights to the US. Subsequently, Arkia commenced US flights, making an essential addition of service that allowed for elevated competitors, even when overseas firms weren’t flying to Israel.
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Not the primary time
Israir has beforehand operated direct flights to New York. The service started in 2004, when the corporate operated constitution flights. About two years later, the service was upgraded to a scheduled route, and the corporate leased plane for the aim.
In 2008, the route was discontinued, along with its long-haul path to Bangkok, as a result of lack of financial viability. In response to estimates, the path to New York resulted in Israir losses of about $14.8 million.
“Working constitution flights to the US and long-haul locations is a harmful mannequin. It is a advanced operation, involving excessive dangers, each from a safety and financial perspective,” notes a senior trade official. “Competitor Arkia additionally tried to function flights to Bangkok utilizing this mannequin in 2018, and so they had been discontinued for a similar purpose.”
Revealed by Globes, Israel enterprise information – en.globes.co.il – on July 16, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Writer Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
