Israir Scales Operations with 6 Wide-Body Aircraft for Global Routes

Israir Airlines has announced the appointment of Yoav Weiss as Vice President responsible for operations in the US, the Far East, and the wide-body aircraft fleet. The appointment marks the launch of a strategic move to expand the company's long-haul flight operations, aiming to transform them into a central growth engine alongside its existing regional activities.

As part of his role, Weiss will manage the establishment of the company's wide-body aircraft array, which is expected to include six aircraft in a short period. These will be operated to strategic destinations including New York and Miami in the US, as well as destinations in the Far East including Japan, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, and Thailand. This activity will be managed as an independent profit and loss (P&L) unit, which will include the management of pricing strategy, interline partnership agreements, and the customer experience on wide-body aircraft.

Israir, currently ranked as the second-largest airline at Ben Gurion Airport, recorded a record year in 2025 with over 2.1 million passengers. As of today, the company operates a fleet of approximately 20 narrow-body aircraft, with the addition of the wide-body fleet intended to provide a response to increasing competition on direct routes to transatlantic and Asian destinations.

Weiss brings over two decades of experience in the aviation industry. In his most recent role, he served as the Country Manager for Virgin Atlantic in Israel, and previously held senior management positions at El Al, including Commercial Manager for North America and Regional Manager for Europe and Asia. His experience in managing long-haul routes and relationships with travel agents and global partners is considered a critical asset during Israir's transition from a regional airline to a long-haul player.

The move is expected to directly impact the level of competition at Ben Gurion Airport and the availability of seat capacity from Israel to distant destinations. The success of the move depends on Israir's ability to absorb the new aircraft and implement a service and operational framework that is fundamentally different from the short-haul flight model.