Israir Airlines has formally requested approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for a foreign air carrier permit, aiming to restart scheduled flights between Tel Aviv and New York after a 16-year break from the U.S. market.

The airline’s initiative is intended to ease the current shortage of available seating on routes connecting Israel and the U.S., where seat capacity remains roughly 42% below levels recorded before the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023.

According to its submitted proposal, Israir intends to offer six nonstop weekly roundtrip flights between Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and the New York metropolitan area starting July 1. These flights will utilize Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Besides operating regular commercial flights, Israir also plans to conduct charter services under the existing air transportation agreement between the U.S. and Israel. Israir previously operated flights to the United States until market conditions prompted the airline to withdraw from the U.S. market in 2009.

Israir’s application reflects broader initiatives by Israeli airlines to strengthen air connectivity with the United States in response to the decreased international service resulting from regional conflicts involving Israel since October 7, 2023.

In February, Arkia Airlines began nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and New York’s JFK Airport, while El Al increased its weekly flights to the U.S. to 41 across six different routes, compared to 34 flights per week in March 2023.

Meanwhile, U.S. airlines Delta and United have announced their return to Israeli routes following the initial ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on January 19. United will resume daily Newark-to-Tel Aviv flights on March 15 with Boeing 787-10 aircraft. Delta plans to restart its daily service from JFK to Tel Aviv beginning April 1, using Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. American Airlines has yet to specify a resumption date.

Before the conflict, American Airlines flew to Tel Aviv from both JFK and Miami. Delta offered connections from Atlanta, Boston, and JFK, while United provided the largest selection of flights linking Tel Aviv with Newark, Chicago O’Hare, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles.

The post Israir Airlines Eyes U.S. Comeback with Planned Tel Aviv to New York Flights After 16-Year Gap appeared first on Travel And Tour World.