TechAir, a new Israeli seasonal airline initiated by a forum of leading tech executives and investors, is hoping to take off on an inaugural flight to New York on January 21, as US carriers have ceased flying to and from the country due to the ongoing war with the Hamas terror group.
With no end in sight to the war currently in its 15th month, the Hi-Tech Center, a forum of entrepreneurs, startup founders, investors, and venture capital fund managers who rely on face-to-face meetings with investors and customers located outside the country, is not waiting for the government to take action.
Citing the shortage of flights to the US, limited availability, and high airfares, TechAir plans to run three weekly direct flights with leased planes and crews to bolster the route between Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport starting next month until at least the end of March.
After sealing an agreement to lease an Airbus A330-900 passenger aircraft, which will be operated by an unnamed Israeli company, TechAir on Thursday kicked off an online 72-hour presale booking period to secure sufficient commitment to launch the route.
Roundtrip tickets from Tel Aviv to New York are priced at $1,550 in economy class, including luggage, seating, and meals, and one-way tickets cost $900. After the presale period, ticket fares are set to increase by 15 to 20 percent.
TechAir’s pricing for roundtrip fares is lower than tickets with Israel’s flagship carrier El Al, the only airline currently offering direct routes to New York. Flights on the Tel Aviv-New York route with a stopover connection are cheaper than TechAir’s fares.
TechAir plans to operate a total of 36 direct weekly flights that depart at midnight from Tel Aviv and land in New York early in the morning on weekdays, with one flight departing over the weekend.
The lack of government action to provide solutions for the dire travel situation is causing business disruptions to entrepreneurs and executives, as Israel attracts most of its tech investments from abroad, with the US market representing the main market for expansion. About 80% of venture capital investments in local tech startups have been generated from foreign funds in recent years.
Since war broke out with Hamas in Gaza following the terror group’s October 7 onslaught on southern Israeli communities last year, foreign airlines have repeatedly canceled and resumed their flights to and from Israel. In recent months, US airlines as well as a majority of European carriers completely stopped flying to Israel during heightened fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, and as tensions rose in the Middle East.
That has left Israel’s El Al as the only airline flying from Tel Aviv on direct routes to North America. The lack of competition has led to a severe shortage of seat availability, while driving up airfares by 100 percent, and in some periods by much more.
American Airlines extended its suspension of flights to Tel Aviv from March 2025 until September, while US carrier Delta Airlines canceled its routes to Israel until April 2025. United Airlines has suspended its flights to Tel Aviv for the foreseeable future, due to security concerns, and says it plans to resume them when it is safe for its customers and crew.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/sharon-wrobel/
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