By 5 Towns Central Staff

LOD, ISRAEL (August 12, 2026)

Israeli airline Israir is preparing two Airbus A330-200 widebody aircraft for a potential New York–Tel Aviv route, a major expansion that could add much-needed competition to the transatlantic market.

The aircraft, registered as 4X-BAK and 4X-BAL, were previously operated by US Airways and American Airlines before being placed in storage in 2020. Israir purchased the two planes for approximately $74 million, with the total investment expected to exceed $80 million after the costs of returning them to service.

One of the aircraft, 4X-BAK, arrived in Israel from Tucson in June and has already begun operating Israir flights to European destinations. The second aircraft was flown to Larnaca, Cyprus, where Israir is supporting its maintenance and preparation for commercial service.

Israeli travel company Issta provided Israir with $35 million toward the purchase. In return, Issta secured 40 economy-class seats on every commercial flight operated by either aircraft for the next decade.

The A330s have retained their existing American Airlines cabin configuration, with 20 business-class seats, 21 premium-economy seats and 206 economy seats.

The big question is when Israir will actually begin flying to New York.

The airline has repeatedly pushed back its projected launch date, previously pointing to Passover, June, the third quarter and then early August. As of August 11, none of those deadlines have been met, and Israir has yet to announce a firm start date.

There has been progress on the regulatory side. Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority approved Israir’s A330 operation, including flights to North America, on July 29. The airline still needs approval from the FAA under Part 129, as well as TSA approval for its foreign-carrier security program, before it can begin scheduled U.S. service.

A New York route would give Israeli travelers another option at a time when nonstop capacity between Israel and the United States has been significantly disrupted. According to the Israel Airports Authority, approximately 1.2 million passengers traveled between New York and Tel Aviv in 2025.

If Israir eventually operates six weekly flights using the 247-seat A330s, it would add nearly 1,500 seats each week in one direction, representing a meaningful new share of the nonstop market.

For passengers, the additional competition could be particularly significant as transatlantic fares remain high and flight availability has been limited.

El Al and Arkia have continued operating New York service during the disruptions, while several international carriers are preparing to return. KLM is scheduled to resume service August 25, initially using a technical stop in Larnaca, followed by Delta on September 6 and United on September 8.

If Israir can clear its remaining regulatory hurdles and finally launch the route, the arrival of its A330s could provide Israeli and American travelers with another option on one of the busiest and most important air corridors connecting Israel with the United States.