Israir

ICAO: ISR Active as of Dec 11, 2025

73

Active Routes

1174

Flight Observations

35

Unique Destinations

39

Origin Airports

1156

Avg Route Distance (mi)

2660

Longest Route (mi)

4

Domestic Routes

69

International Routes
About Israir

Israir Airlines, initially established in 1989 as Kanfei HaEmek (Valley Wings), was rebranded to Israir Airlines in 1996. It is an Israeli low-cost airline, currently wholly owned by the Rami Levi Group, and is recognized as Israel's second-largest airline. The airline commenced operations with domestic services from various Israeli airports and expanded into international charter flights in 1999, modeling itself on the US low-cost carrier JetBlue.

Israir's main operational base is at Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv. It also maintains domestic operations from Ramon Airport and Haifa Airport. The airline's route network encompasses both domestic scheduled and air taxi flights within Israel, alongside scheduled and charter international services that reach across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. As of November 2025, Israir serves 2 domestic and 42 international destinations across 23 countries.

The airline operates a fleet predominantly composed of Airbus A320-200 and ATR 72-500 aircraft, with plans to transition to an all-Airbus jet fleet. Israir is not a member of any major global airline alliance such as Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld. Passengers flying with Israir can choose from three cabin classes: Economy, Premium, and Business. Economy class offers basic services, Premium provides larger seats with increased legroom, and Business class includes enhanced amenities such as hot meals, complimentary alcoholic beverages, blankets, and pillows. Business class passengers may also be granted access to special airport lounges on select routes.

What Travelers Say

Traveler reviews for Israir Airlines indicate a mixed but generally weak overall sentiment. The airline is often described as a low-cost carrier, with experiences reflecting this model.

What Travelers Love:

  • Good Cabin Crew: Several reviews highlight the cabin crew as professional, good, nice, and helpful.
  • On-time Performance (sometimes): Some passengers have noted that departures and arrivals were pretty much on schedule.
  • Complimentary Beverages in Economy (at times): Economy class may include free beverages.

Common Complaints:

  • Poor Customer Service & Communication: Frequent complaints include terrible customer service, lack of information, and unhelpful staff, particularly concerning flight changes, cancellations, and refunds.
  • Baggage Policy Issues: Travelers report confusion and frustration regarding hand luggage policies, leading to unexpected charges. Checked baggage allowances can vary, and additional baggage often incurs fees.
  • Flight Delays and Schedule Changes: Passengers often experience significant flight delays and unannounced changes to flight times, sometimes moving flights to very unappealing time slots.
  • Limited In-Flight Service & Entertainment: Reviewers often note a lack of in-flight entertainment and that meals and drinks are not always complimentary, even on longer flights. Seating comfort, especially on long-haul routes (historically), has also been a point of concern due to cramped configurations.

Overall, the sentiment suggests that while the cabin crew generally provides good service, the overall customer experience is often hampered by issues related to flight punctuality, opaque baggage policies, and challenging customer support, reflecting a basic low-cost airline model.

Safety Information

Israir Airlines maintains a generally positive safety standing within the aviation industry, despite a few notable incidents throughout its history.

  • Recent safety record and any notable incidents (or lack thereof): Israir's safety record includes a heavy landing in June 2001 that damaged an ATR 42-320 beyond repair, though no passengers were injured. In July 2005, an Israir 767 had a near-collision on a JFK runway. More recently, in May 2015, an engine shut down on an ATR 72 during a flight. In September 2022, an Airbus A320 experienced a gear problem upon arrival in Tel Aviv. In January 2025, an Israir aircraft declared an emergency and returned to Ben Gurion International Airport after flying in circles to burn fuel.
  • Regulatory certifications (IOSA, FAA compliance, EU safety list status): Israir Airlines is IOSA certified, having successfully topped the IATA Operational Safety Audit and being awarded the organization's highest safety ranking. The European Union has also expressed satisfaction with Israel's efforts to improve aviation safety, indicating that Israir, along with other Israeli airlines, maintains its safety ranking within the EU. Israel is actively working to restore its Category-1 safety status with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The airline operates under the regulatory oversight of the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
  • Fleet age and maintenance reputation: The average age of Israir's fleet is approximately 15.9 years. In June 2024, Israir took control of Bird Aviation, an aircraft maintenance company in Cyprus, which focuses on the Airbus A320/A320neo family. While one source suggests maintenance might be kept to a minimum due to cost pressures, the acquisition of a maintenance company implies a commitment to internal maintenance capabilities.
  • Overall safety assessment based on available data: Based on available data, AirlineRatings.com gives Israir a safety rating of 7 out of 7, which is their highest possible rating. This high rating, combined with its IOSA certification, suggests a strong adherence to safety protocols and a commitment to maintaining a secure operational environment despite some reported incidents.
  • Any safety awards or recognitions: Israir was awarded the highest safety ranking by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) after topping the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
Content generated by AI based on web research • Updated 2 weeks, 1 day ago
Route Network Map
Most Popular Routes
BUS → TLV
Batumi International Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
761 miles
164 flights
A320
ETM → TLV
Ramon International Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
158 miles
103 flights
A320
TIV → TLV
Tivat Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
1141 miles
79 flights
B738
PFO → TLV
Paphos International Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
233 miles
60 flights
A320
47 flights
A320
VAR → TLV
Varna Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
866 miles
43 flights
A320
LCA → TLV
Larnaca International Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
211 miles
40 flights
A320
TLV → ATH
Ben Gurion International Airport → Athens Int'l, Eleftherios Venizelos
742 miles
36 flights
A320
29 flights
A320
RHO → TLV
Diagoras Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
493 miles
28 flights
A320
Top Destinations
TLV (LLBG)
Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
836 flights
38 routes
ATH (LGAV)
Athens Int'l, Eleftherios Venizelos
Athens
36 flights
1 route
BUD (LHBP)
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport
Budapest
27 flights
1 route
BUS (UGSB)
Batumi
Batumi
27 flights
1 route
ETM (LLER)
Ramon Airport
Eilat
24 flights
1 route
LCA (LCLK)
Larnaca Int'l
Larnaca
24 flights
1 route
RHO (LGRP)
Rhodes Int'l, Diagoras
22 flights
1 route
FCO (LIRF)
Leonardo da Vinci Int'l (Fiumicino Int'l)
Rome
18 flights
1 route
TIV (LYTV)
Tivat
Tivat
16 flights
1 route
PFO (LCPH)
Paphos Int'l
Paphos
13 flights
1 route
Top Origin Airports
TLV (LLBG)
Ben Gurion International Airport
Tel Aviv
337 flights
34 routes
BUS (UGSB)
Batumi International Airport
Batumi
164 flights
1 route
ETM (LLER)
Ramon International Airport
Eilat
103 flights
1 route
TIV (LYTV)
Tivat Airport
Tivat
79 flights
1 route
PFO (LCPH)
Paphos International Airport
Paphos
60 flights
1 route
BUD (LHBP)
Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport
Budapest
47 flights
1 route
VAR (LBWN)
Varna Airport
Varna
44 flights
2 routes
LCA (LCLK)
Larnaca International Airport
Larnaca
40 flights
1 route
ATH (LGAV)
Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport
Spata-Artemida
29 flights
1 route
RHO (LGRP)
Diagoras Airport
Rhodes
28 flights
1 route
Top Border Crossing Flights
TLV (LLBG)
Ben Gurion International Airport
Tel Aviv, IL
836 flights
38 routes
ATH (LGAV)
Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport
Athens, GR
36 flights
1 route
BUD (LHBP)
Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport
Budapest, HU
27 flights
1 route
BUS (UGSB)
Batumi International Airport
Batumi, GE
27 flights
1 route
LCA (LCLK)
Larnaca International Airport
Larnaca, CY
24 flights
1 route
RHO (LGRP)
Diagoras Airport
22 flights
1 route
FCO (LIRF)
Rome–Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport
Rome, IT
18 flights
1 route
TIV (LYTV)
Tivat Airport
Tivat, ME
16 flights
1 route
Longest Routes
TLV → ZNZ
Ben Gurion International Airport → Zanzibar
2660 mi
AGP → TLV
Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
2256 mi
TLV → AGP
Ben Gurion International Airport → Malaga
2256 mi
LTN → TLV
London Luton Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
2240 mi
TLV → LTN
Ben Gurion International Airport → London Luton
2240 mi
Shortest Routes
ETM → TLV
Ramon International Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
158 mi
TLV → ETM
Ben Gurion International Airport → Ramon Airport
158 mi
TLV → LCA
Ben Gurion International Airport → Larnaca Int'l
211 mi
LCA → TLV
Larnaca International Airport → Ben Gurion Int'l
211 mi
VAR → SOF
Varna Airport → Sofia Airport
227 mi
All Routes
73 Total Routes
Showing 25 most popular routes
Route Destination Flights Distance Aircraft Last Seen
BUS → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
164 761 mi A320 Dec 10, 2025
ETM → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
103 158 mi A320 Dec 9, 2025
TIV → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
79 1141 mi B738 Nov 26, 2025
PFO → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
60 233 mi A320 Oct 26, 2025
BUD → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
47 1347 mi A320 Dec 9, 2025
VAR → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
43 866 mi A320 Dec 11, 2025
LCA → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
40 211 mi A320 Dec 3, 2025
TLV → ATH Athens Int'l, Eleftherios Venizelos
Athens
36 742 mi A320 Nov 26, 2025
ATH → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
29 742 mi A320 Oct 13, 2025
RHO → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
28 493 mi A320 Oct 25, 2025
TLV → BUD Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport
Budapest
27 1347 mi A320 Dec 8, 2025
TLV → BUS Batumi
Batumi
27 761 mi A320 Dec 5, 2025
SKG → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
25 886 mi A320 Nov 21, 2025
SZG → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
25 1583 mi B738 Oct 24, 2025
TLV → LCA Larnaca Int'l
Larnaca
24 211 mi A320 Oct 26, 2025
TLV → ETM Ramon Airport
Eilat
24 158 mi A320 Nov 27, 2025
TBS → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
24 869 mi A320 Dec 4, 2025
TLV → RHO Rhodes Int'l, Diagoras 22 493 mi A320 Oct 14, 2025
VRN → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
19 1582 mi A320 Oct 4, 2025
PVK → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
18 926 mi A320 Oct 10, 2025
TLV → FCO Leonardo da Vinci Int'l (Fiumicino Int'l)
Rome
18 1417 mi A320 Oct 5, 2025
TIA → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
17 1060 mi A320 Nov 16, 2025
TLV → TIV Tivat
Tivat
16 1141 mi A320 Oct 22, 2025
FCO → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
16 1417 mi A320 Oct 14, 2025
GYD → TLV Ben Gurion Int'l
Tel Aviv
15 1026 mi A320 Dec 10, 2025
Data Information:

Airline statistics are based on flight route observations collected from FlightAware AeroAPI and other sources. Flight counts represent observed operations, not scheduled frequencies. Route data is continuously updated as new flight information becomes available.

Data Freshness: Real-time
Last Update: Dec 11, 2025 00:00
Coverage: Observed routes only