During Independence Day, Israir (TASE: ISRG) conducted a test flight of an Airbus A330 aircraft in Mexico in preparation for its delivery and joining the company's operations. The test flight, which was conducted after maintenance and adjustment work on the aircraft, is a key stage in its integration process and brings the Israeli airline a step closer to introducing long-haul operations, for the first time.
The aircraft will operate on the direct route between Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and JFK Airport in New York. The current plan is for a daily flight on the route to be inaugurated at the end of July. The company had originally planned to begin the flights from Passover, but due to operational constraints and the security situation, the launch date was postponed. The aircraft is expected to operate in a three-class configuration: economy, premium, and business.
Estimates are that initial round-trip fares will range around $1,400-1,500, subject, among other things, to developments in jet fuel prices. As of now, final approval from the Israel Civil Aviation Authority for the operation of the route has not yet been received.
Israir's move to operate long-haul flights comes after a long period in which US airlines have been operating sporadically in Israel during the wars since October 2023, frequently leaving El Al with almost complete exclusivity on various long haul routes, with the exception of New York, on which Arkia also competes.
With the outbreak of the recent war with Iran, all US airlines again announced the suspension of flights to and from Israel. As of today, the US carriers - United, Delta and American Airlines - have already announced that they will not return to operations in Israel until at least September, and the impact on flight supply is being felt in the market.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 23, 2026.
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