Low-cost carrier Israir is set to become the third Israeli airline to offer nonstop service between Tel Aviv and New York City.
According to a report from The Times of Israel, the Israeli Transportation Ministry recently granted Israir a license to operate long-haul flights from Ben Gurion International Airport to New York, though it was not clear which airport the carrier will serve in the area.
Israir previously stated that it wanted to launch service between Tel Aviv and New York in the spring of 2026, in time for Passover, with as many as six flights per week.
“This is an important step to strengthen competition, lower prices, improve service, and expand options for the public,” Transportation Minister Miri Regev told The Times. “The air route between Israel and the U.S. will be growing stronger, with five airlines operating between the countries: three Israeli and two American.”
Currently, two Israeli airlines, El Al and Arkia, offer nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and New York.
Major American airlines have paused and restarted service to Israel several times over the past two years due to fighting in the region, most recently due to the air war between Israel and Iran. United will be the first of that group to return to Israel, with service between Newark and Tel Aviv scheduled to resume on July 21.
Delta has paused flights between New York JFK and Tel Aviv until at least Aug. 31. American has not flown to Israel since October 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a massive cross-border raid into the country, setting off the war in Gaza.
