Arkia or Israir JFK–Tel Aviv Fare Sale? What to Verify Before You Book

The decision: If you see a low one-way JFK–Tel Aviv fare on Arkia or Israir, verify it on the airline's own booking page for your exact date before planning around it. We are not repeating specific current sale prices here because we could not tie them to an airline or an established publisher.

What credible reporting has established

Arkia, which Upgraded Points described as Israel's second-largest airline, started nonstop service between New York-JFK and Tel Aviv (TLV). Its launch schedule ran from February 8 to May 8, 2025. Arkia did not have planes that could fly the route nonstop, so it leased an Airbus A330-900 from the European airline Iberojet. That aircraft had 388 seats, all in economy, in a 2-4-2 layout with 30 to 31 inches of legroom.

Arkia's launch fares are a useful historical reference, not a current offer. February 2025 flights started at $599 each way, March and May flights at $799, and April flights at $899. Arkia charged no surcharge for booking one-way (Upgraded Points).

Israir took a different path. In March 2025, One Mile at a Time reported that Israir had asked the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for a foreign air carrier permit to fly to the United States. It sought six weekly Tel Aviv–New York flights starting July 1, 2025. Israir's fleet then consisted of eight Airbus A320s, which cannot fly a route that long, so it planned to wet lease Airbus A330-200s. In a wet lease, Israir sells and markets the flights, while another operator provides the aircraft and crew. Israir had previously flown to the US until 2009.

Why the competitive backdrop matters

When Arkia announced its launch, Upgraded Points reported that El Al was the only other airline on the route. US airlines had suspended service because of the conflict. By March 2025, OMAAT reported that United planned to resume flights in late March 2025 and Delta in early April 2025. Capacity was still significantly below pre-October 2023 levels.

Our inference: new entrants and returning US carriers on the same route create conditions where fare sales are more likely to appear. The same conditions make schedules less predictable. OMAAT questioned whether Arkia's and Israir's leased-aircraft flights would be temporary. When Israir filed, OMAAT also said it remained to be seen whether the service would happen and whether Israir could secure aircraft leases.

Tradeoffs to weigh

• The aircraft may not match older reports. Both carriers built this route around leased widebody aircraft. Check the aircraft and cabin shown for your specific flight rather than relying on 2025 descriptions.
• One-way pricing is the real advantage. Arkia's 2025 launch had no one-way surcharge. Our inference: if one-way pricing still applies on your dates, compare two separate one-way tickets, possibly on different airlines, against a round trip. Use the totals the booking sites actually show you.
• Read the fare rules. Change and refund terms are set by the airline and the booking channel. Review the rules for your specific ticket before you pay.

Treat any widely shared fare as a lead to check, not a guarantee. Low fares on a given date can disappear, and nothing here confirms what is available today.