Israir Completes Historic First Direct Flight from Ben Gurion to New York
Israir airline completed its historic inaugural flight from Ben Gurion Airport to New York's JFK, marking a major milestone in the company's expansion under CEO Uri Sirkis.
Israir, the Israeli airline owned by businessman Rami Levy, has made history after its inaugural flight from Ben Gurion Airport to New York landed safely at JFK Airport's Terminal 8. Uri Sirkis, CEO of Israir, addressed the 240 passengers on board immediately after landing.
A Milestone for Israir and the US Route
Sirkis emphasized the airline's philosophy of transparency and commitment during his announcement. "We didn't do any special show tonight. No fireworks. No gimmicks. No scenery. This is not by chance, this is our philosophy at Israir: what you see is what we deliver," Sirkis told the passengers.
He noted that Israir is the second-largest airline in Israel and embraces the challenge of being number two. According to Sirkis, being number two requires being hungrier, more competitive, bolder, sharper, and never taking customers for granted.
Massive Investments in Fleet and Infrastructure
Addressing the company's growth, Sirkis explained that Israir chose to build its operations from the ground up rather than relying on leased foreign aircraft. The airline invested millions of dollars in technological infrastructure, including the world-leading Altea system, self-service kiosks at Ben Gurion Airport, and a dedicated service area.
"We are building and expanding 7,000 square meters of heavy maintenance infrastructure in Larnaca with an investment of more than $10 million, purchased aircraft with an investment of $85 million, and launched the Super Fly credit card," Sirkis stated.
Furthermore, Sirkis highlighted that Israir has already initiated the licensing process to operate flights to Japan, signaling further international expansion.
The Human Infrastructure
Sirkis concluded by praising the airline's employees, calling them the most vital infrastructure of all. He noted that tickets for the inaugural New York flight went on sale only a week ago, successfully attracting 240 new customers. "Today we made a small historical move for Israir. For us, this is not the finish line. This is the takeoff," Sirkis concluded.
