Israir has completed the purchase of two wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft announced earlier this year and says it will begin operating flights to New York in the third quarter of 2026, between July and September. The company also announced the recruitment of 16 pilots and 50 new flight attendants ahead of the expansion.
The deal is worth about $85 million. Israir said the new aircraft will operate with three service classes, and that ticket sales are expected to open around the launch of the company’s joint credit card club with Rami Levy and Isracard.
With the deal completed, Israir owns five narrow-body aircraft and two wide-body aircraft. It also operates four aircraft under long-term leases and seven under seasonal leases. In total, Israir is expected to operate a fleet of 18 aircraft in summer 2026.
The move comes about two weeks after Israir announced that Bird Aviation, the group’s maintenance arm in Larnaca, Cyprus, had received approval from Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority to perform line maintenance on A330 aircraft. The company described the move as part of preparations to launch the U.S. route and expand long-haul operations.
The permit allows Israir to independently provide line maintenance services for A330 aircraft, including handling malfunctions, line checks and operational support. The company estimates the move will improve aircraft availability and increase operational flexibility ahead of the launch of the U.S. route.
The plan to establish a wide-body fleet was revealed at the beginning of the year. Alongside New York, the company has previously marked 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 move, the company appointed Yoav Weiss as vice president of U.S. operations, the Far East and wide-body fleet management.
Coming soon: Connecting flights to your dream destination
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Airlines, represented in Israel by Tal Aviation Group, announced that it will begin operating a new seasonal route this summer between Addis Ababa and Mauritius. The route will operate three times a week, on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from July 12 to September 30, 2026. The price is about $1,300 for a round-trip ticket.
For passengers from Israel, this means another option for reaching the Indian Ocean island via a connecting flight through Addis Ababa. There are currently no direct flights between Israel and Mauritius, and travel to the destination is via connections through Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, is known for its tropical beaches, resorts and nature reserves. Ethiopian Airlines currently operates about 18 weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Addis Ababa, offering connections to many destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas through its hub in Ethiopia.