The aircraft is the first of two Airbus A330 planes purchased by the company in a deal valued at about $85 million. The second aircraft is expected to join Israir’s fleet at the beginning of the week, and the airline says its New York route will begin operating in early August.
The Israir plane welcomed at Ben Gurion Airport
(Video: Sivan Farag)
During July, the new aircraft will be integrated into Israir flights to European destinations as part of the company’s preparations for expanding its long-haul operations.
The new planes include three service classes: business, premium and economy. Israir said it is completing a dedicated training program for flight crews, ground teams and maintenance personnel ahead of the aircraft entering service and the launch of long-haul flights.
In May, Israir announced that it had completed the purchase of the two wide-body A330 aircraft, which it had first announced at the start of the year, and said it intended to begin operating flights to New York during the third quarter of 2026. At the same time, the company announced the recruitment of 16 pilots and 50 new flight attendants ahead of the expansion.
The deal is worth about $85 million. With its completion, Israir owns five narrow-body aircraft and two wide-body aircraft. In addition, it operates four aircraft under long-term leases and seven aircraft under seasonal leases. In total, Israir is expected to operate a fleet of 18 aircraft in summer 2026.
The move comes about a month after Israir announced that Bird Aviation, the group’s maintenance arm in Larnaca, Cyprus, had received approval from Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority to carry out line maintenance for A330 aircraft.
The company described the approval as part of its preparations for launching the U.S. route and expanding its long-haul flight operations.
The permit allows Israir to independently provide line maintenance services for A330 aircraft, including troubleshooting, line checks and operational support. The company said the move would help improve aircraft availability and increase operational flexibility ahead of the opening of the route to the United States.
Israir CEO Uri Sirkis said the landing of the first Airbus A330 at Ben Gurion Airport was a defining moment for the airline and for Israel’s aviation industry.
“The landing of the first Airbus A330 aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport is a formative moment for Israir and for Israeli aviation,” Sirkis said. “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.”
The plan to establish a wide-body fleet was first revealed in November 2025. In addition to New York, Israir has previously identified future destinations in the Far East, including Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong and another destination in China, as well as Miami.
To lead the expansion, the company appointed Yoav Weiss as vice president for U.S. operations, the Far East and wide-body fleet management.