Israir has received final approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate scheduled commercial flights to the United States, clearing the last regulatory hurdle for its planned service between Tel Aviv and New York.
The Israeli airline announced the approval on August 24, 2026, and said tickets would go on sale soon. Israir has been targeting October 19 for its first nonstop flight between Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), although the carrier could bring the launch forward now that the FAA process is complete.
“Receiving the FAA approval is the final and decisive step in the regulatory process and joins the previous approvals the company received from aviation authorities in Israel and the US,” Israir said.
The FAA approval follows an August 18 announcement in which Israir said the US Department of Transportation had cleared it to begin selling tickets for flights to the United States.
Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority had already approved Israir to operate its Airbus A330-200s and conduct flights to North America.
“This is an international expression of trust from the American aviation authority in the quality, safety and operational reliability of the company,” Israir said. “We are excited to expand our map of destinations to North America, to increase competition in the market, and to provide our customers with quality service at competitive prices.”
Israir has not yet published its New York schedule or fares. Previous plans called for as many as six weekly round trips, but the airline’s final timetable will not be confirmed until tickets go on sale.
Israir buys former American Airlines A330s
Israir acquired two Airbus A330-200 widebody aircraft to support its entry into long-haul markets. The aircraft, registered 4X-BAK and 4X-BAL, were delivered to US Airways in 2010 and later transferred to American Airlines when the two carriers merged. American retired its Airbus A330 fleet and placed the aircraft in storage in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The A330s retain their 247-seat American Airlines cabins. Each aircraft has 20 lie-flat business-class seats, 21 premium-economy seats and 206 economy seats.
The arrival of the aircraft required Israir to develop its first in-house widebody operation. The airline recruited additional pilots and cabin crew and expanded its maintenance capability to support the A330.
Israir intends to operate the aircraft with its own flight and cabin crews. That gives it a different operating model from rival Arkia Israeli Airlines, which relies on foreign airlines to provide widebody aircraft and crews under wet-lease agreements for its transatlantic services.
Operating its own aircraft gives Israir greater control over scheduling and crew availability, particularly during periods when foreign airlines or their employees are unwilling to operate to Israel. It also leaves Israir directly responsible for the substantially higher maintenance, staffing and operating costs associated with a long-haul widebody fleet.
Israir returns to the US after 17 years
The New York route will mark Israir’s return to the United States after an absence of approximately 17 years. The airline previously operated scheduled and charter flights between Israel and New York from 2003 until 2009.
It also represents a significant expansion for a carrier whose international network has concentrated largely on short- and medium-haul destinations in Europe, the Mediterranean and nearby regions.
Israir will join El Al and Arkia in offering nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and JFK. Arkia entered the market in February 2025 using wet-leased widebody aircraft, while El Al remains the largest operator between Israel and the United States.
Delta Air Lines plans to resume daily JFK–Tel Aviv flights on September 6, while United Airlines plans to restore two daily flights between Newark Liberty International Airport and Tel Aviv on September 8.
Those schedules remain subject to security conditions. Both airlines have repeatedly suspended and resumed service as conflict and airspace closures disrupted operations across the Middle East.