Israeli leisure carrier Israir has secured final clearance from the US Federal Aviation Administration to operate scheduled commercial flights to the United States, removing the last regulatory obstacle in front of its planned Tel AvivβNew York service. The airline announced the approval on 24 August 2026 and said tickets would go on sale soon.
The FAA clearance was obtained on 21 August, according to the carrier, which says that "all required approvals" have now been received from both US and Israeli authorities. Israir described the decision as "the final and decisive step in the regulatory process", adding that it "joins the previous approvals the company received from aviation authorities in Israel and the US".
The FAA sign-off follows an 18 August announcement in which Israir said the US Department of Transportation had cleared it to begin selling tickets for US flights. Israel's Civil Aviation Authority had already approved the airline to operate its Airbus A330-200s on North American routes.
October Launch In Sight
Israir has been targeting 19 October for its first nonstop flight between Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), although with the regulatory process now complete the carrier could bring that date forward. As of the announcement, no schedule or fares had been published. Earlier plans called for as many as six weekly round trips, but the final timetable will not be confirmed until tickets go on sale.
For Israir this is a significant step up. The airline is best known for leisure flying around the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and New York will be its first widebody long-haul operation.
Two Ex-American A330-200s
To support the entry into long-haul markets, Israir acquired a pair of Airbus A330-200s registered 4X-BAK and 4X-BAL. Both were delivered to US Airways in 2010 and later transferred to American Airlines following the merger of the two carriers. American retired its A330 fleet and placed the aircraft in storage in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two jets retain their former American Airlines interiors, a 247-seat layout that includes 20 lie-flat business class seats. That gives Israir a premium cabin from day one on a route where legacy competitors already offer flat beds.
Financial Backdrop
The timing matters commercially. Israir Group posted a net loss of $32.5 million for the first six months of the year, close to double its interim loss for 2025, while revenues for the period fell by nearly 9% to $249.5 million. Second-quarter revenues rose to $140.7 million, but the quarterly net loss widened from $10.4 million to $18.5 million.
The company has said the start of US flights should have a "positive impact" in the second half of the year. Israir also framed the FAA decision as "an international expression of trust from the American aviation authority in the quality, safety and operational reliability of the company", saying it wants to "increase competition in the market" on routes to North America.
Sources: AeroTime, FlightGlobal. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Elena Vargas.
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