Israeli tech sector’s new airline, TechAir, has initiated its first operational phase by registering flight routes for the upcoming quarter. On Monday, the company completed initial route registration for services spanning January through March. Simultaneously, the High-Tech Forum finalized a preliminary agreement with a European partner for a comprehensive wet lease arrangement, which includes a Boeing 777 aircraft complete with crew, maintenance, and associated operational services.
For more than a year now it has been difficult to fly to and from Israel, with Israel’s national airline El Al being the only airline to consistently offer service. This is because since the October 7, 2023, barbaric Hamas terror Massacre Israel has been under constant attack by rockets launched from both Gaza and Lebanon, so foreign carriers cancelled their flights. This is why the Israel High-Tech Forum established TechAir.
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The new airline will operate three weekly flights between Israel and New York from January to mid-March. Departing at midnight, the flights will land at JFK Airport and return to Israel the following morning.
Several companies have already expressed interest in purchasing dozens of tickets per week for their employees. Ticket prices for the round trip are as follows:
Tourist Class: $1,350
Premium Class: $2,600
Business Class: $5,400
For comparison, El Al offers round-trip tickets to New York in January starting at around $1,200.
Any profits generated from ticket sales will be distributed to advance ticket purchasers.
“To ensure the viability of this route, multiple companies must commit to purchasing up to $20,000 in tickets, either directly or for resale to travel agents,” said the Israel High-Tech Forum when it first announced its plans a few weeks ago. “This commitment will secure the airline’s participation. Profits from the operation will be shared among participating companies, with additional revenue generated through cargo transportation.”
“There is an ongoing shortage of flights, and currently, there are no solutions for those needing to fly to the U.S. Availability is low, and prices are extremely high. We decided not to wait for solutions from the Ministry of Transport and to take action ourselves. We are opening up this opportunity to the general public and hope to begin ticket sales through travel agents in the coming days. We are committed to fair pricing, comparable to pre-war flights to the U.S. If demand is high, we will work to expand the routes.”
