Arkia Israel Airlines
Israel · ARKIA · Active
Airline Identity
History
Arkia traces its roots to 1949, when it was founded as Israel Inland Airlines to fly domestic routes within the young state of Israel, later operating under names including Eilata Airlines before settling on Arkia Israel Airlines. Ownership was originally split between El Al and the Histadrut labor federation, until Kanaf-Arkia acquired the remaining shares and merged operations in March 1980; in 2006 the Nakash brothers of Jordache Enterprises acquired Kanaf-Arkia's 70% controlling stake, with the remaining 30% held by airline employees. Over its history Arkia grew from a domestic carrier into Israel's second-largest airline, expanding into charter and, more recently, long-haul international service.
Current Operations
Arkia today operates a fleet built around Airbus A321LR narrowbodies and Boeing 737 variants, and has expanded into long-haul widebody flying, launching direct New York–Tel Aviv service in February 2025 using an Airbus A330-900, followed by a second New York route in June 2025 operated with a Boeing 787-9. The airline's main base is Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, with a further hub at Ramon Airport near Eilat, and it operates scheduled domestic and international routes plus charter flights to Western Europe and the Mediterranean. Arkia is not a member of any global airline alliance.
Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.