Israeli carrier Israir has taken delivery of the first of two Airbus A330-200 widebodies, marking the airline's return to long-haul flying after nearly two decades and clearing the way for a planned launch of service between Tel Aviv and New York in early August 2026.
The first aircraft, registered 4X-BAK, touched down at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) on Friday, June 19, becoming the first widebody in Israir's fleet in almost 20 years. It was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute. The second A330-200, registered 4X-BAL, is expected to arrive the following week. Both jets were acquired in a deal worth roughly $85 million.
Both airframes have a notable history. They are 16-year-old former US Airways and American Airlines aircraft, originally delivered to US Airways in 2010. American retired the type in February 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and placed the jets into long-term storage at Roswell, New Mexico, before they passed to Texas-based aircraft trader Jetran. Many analysts have argued that American's decision to retire its A330 fleet so abruptly was a costly mistake; today those same jets are giving other carriers an affordable route into widebody operations.
The two A330-200s join an Israir fleet that until now consisted entirely of eight Airbus A320-200 narrowbodies, each seating up to 180 passengers in economy. Both widebodies will offer three cabin classes, retaining the layout American installed in 2017 and 2018, with seating for up to 247 passengers — 20 in business, 21 in premium economy and 206 in economy.
Israir plans to deploy the aircraft on its European network first before launching its flagship route from Ben Gurion to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in early August. The carrier is the third Israeli airline cleared to serve New York, alongside El Al and Arkia. Israir has flown to New York before, operating the route between 2004 and 2008 with the Boeing 767 and a leased A330 before withdrawing due to high costs. Beyond JFK, the airline has signaled interest in additional U.S. destinations such as Miami, as well as longer-term ambitions in Asian markets including China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.
"The landing of the first Airbus A330 aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport is a formative moment for Israir and for Israeli aviation," said Israir CEO Uri Sirkis. "Completing the purchase and bringing the aircraft into our ownership, together with the dedicated training of our air, ground and maintenance teams, places us in a new competitive position." To support the new fleet, Israir has partnered with Cyprus-based Bird Aviation to carry out line maintenance on the widebodies.
The timing could hardly be more opportune. With the security situation in the Middle East keeping U.S. carriers away from Israel, Israir faces little direct competition on the route for now. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have pushed back their planned resumption of Tel Aviv service to at least September, while American Airlines does not intend to return to its JFK–Tel Aviv route until January 2027 — leaving an open window for Israir to establish itself on one of Israel's most important international corridors.
Sources: Simple Flying, Aviation Week. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Elena Vargas.
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