Registry

Does Israir Airlines support Israel?

Support documentedupdated 2026-07-30

Yes — Israir Airlines has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.

Filed under: Hotels & travel companies · Companies that support Israel

Background

Israir is an Israeli airline, wholly owned since 2020 by the Rami Levy Group through BGI Investments and based at Ben Gurion Airport, so its connection to Israel is its identity rather than a matter of donations. Its documented wartime record is operational and follows the same pattern as El Al and Arkia: adding rotations from Larnaca, Corfu and Batumi in October 2023 as Israel mobilised some 300,000 reservists and foreign carriers withdrew, and flying three of the first twelve government-coordinated "Safe Return" repatriation flights on 18 June 2025 during the war with Iran. Two points of precision: these were commercial services sold at published fares, not free flights, and the airline was itself short of crew because foreign staff had left and Israeli staff had been called up. Israir does not appear in the UN OHCHR database of businesses linked to Israeli settlements (A/HRC/60/19, 26 September 2025), and we found no corporate donation by Israir to an Israeli organisation, army unit or emergency service.

The Times of Israel — first repatriation flights of the June 2025 operation Aero News Journal — Israeli carriers add flights, October 2023 Wikipedia — Israir Airlines (ownership and history) OHCHR — A/HRC/60/19 settlement-business database (Israir not listed)

Timeline of documented support

2024202520262023-10 — Operations in Israel: Israeli reservists and citizens abroad after the 7 October 2023 attackOperations in Israel2023-102025-06 — Operations in Israel: Israelis stranded abroad during the June 2025 Israel–Iran war ("Safe Return" operation)Operations in Israel2025-062026 — Operations in Israel: Israel (scheduled and charter air links, including wide-body expansion)Operations in Israel2026

Documented support

TypeDateAmountRecipientSources
Operations in Israel2023-10—Israeli reservists and citizens abroad after the 7 October 2023 attack
In the days after 7 October 2023, as foreign airlines suspended service to Tel Aviv, Israir added rotations to bring Israelis home, expanding service from Larnaca in Cyprus, Corfu in Greece and Batumi in Georgia. Contemporary reporting tied the extra flights directly to Israel's call-up of some 300,000 military reservists, alongside similar additions by El Al and Arkia, and noted that Israir's own capacity was under strain because foreign crew members had been asked to leave and some Israeli staff had themselves been mobilised. This is an operational response by an Israeli airline, not a donation.
Operations in Israel2025-06-18—Israelis stranded abroad during the June 2025 Israel–Iran war ("Safe Return" operation)
When Israeli airspace closed during the June 2025 war with Iran, leaving an estimated 150,000 Israelis stranded abroad, Israir flew three of the first twelve repatriation flights in the government-coordinated "Safe Return" operation announced by Transport Minister Miri Regev, landing at Ben Gurion Airport on 18 June 2025 from Larnaca, Athens and Varna and planning to bring back about 500 passengers on those three services. Flights operated one way only, into Israel, and seats were allocated by original cancellation date or humanitarian need before general sale.
Operations in Israel2026—Israel (scheduled and charter air links, including wide-body expansion)
Israir is an Israeli carrier based at Ben Gurion Airport, founded in 1989 as Kanfei HaEmek and renamed Israir in 1996, and wholly owned by the Rami Levy Group through BGI Investments following an acquisition completed in 2020. As of May 2026 it operated ten aircraft — eight Airbus A320-200s and two A330-200s bought from American Airlines for long-haul service — and in 2026 it also resumed direct Israel–Morocco flights after a three-year halt. This entry records what the company is and where it operates; it is not a donation.

Frequently asked questions

Did Israir Airlines donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?

We have no records of cash donations, but Israir Airlines has documented support of other kinds (Operations in Israel). See the records on this page.

Where does this information come from?

Every record on this page links to its source — news reports, official company statements, tax filings, or government records. 8 distinct sources are cited for Israir Airlines. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.

Sources & citations

Record last updated: 2026-07-30

Companies with documented support