Israeli carrier Israir in talks to buy 2 Airbus A330 aircraft

By Steven Scheer

JERUSALEM, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Israeli carrier Israir said on Monday it was working to acquire two widebody Airbus A330 aircraft for a total of $80 million as it seeks to expand its long-haul routes to help offset a push by Wizz Air into the Israeli market.

Israir said it was negotiating through several channels to finalize the purchase, while it is also engaged in advanced talks with local tourism group Issta to consider an allocation of seats for 10 years in exchange for an advance of about $35 million. 

It noted that at this stage, there is no certainty the deal will be completed, and the company continues to explore additional financing sources.

Wizz said on Sunday it was planning to establish a hub in Israel by April, a move Israir objects to since it would be a direct competitor. Israir has a fleet of about 21 aircraft that it owns and leases and flies mostly domestically and to Europe. It maintains a 14% market share at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

It said the move is part of a series of strategic adjustments the carrier is implementing in light of Wizz Air’s expanding activity in Israel. Israir plans to fly to Asia and other transatlantic destinations.It has already received permission to begin nonstop flights to New York from Tel Aviv starting in March.

"This strategic move is a natural continuation of the company’s passenger-traffic growth achieved in 2025, with more than 2 million passengers on international routes," Israir said.

"The move will strengthen Israir’s market position and enable us to expand our operations to major global destinations, while adapting to market conditions and passenger needs." 

Airbus earlier on Monday confirmed it faced an industrial quality issue with metal panels on some A320-family jets, in its latest challenge after a recall to fix a computer glitch.

Israir said it was not affected.

(Reporting by Steven ScheerEditing by Rod Nickel)