A discount supermarket chain owns Israir. American jeans manufacturers the Nakash brothers own Arkia — and are currently looking for a buyer. Neither has anything to do with El Al's ownership.
Israel's two domestic airlines are both privately controlled by well-known Israeli businessmen from completely different industries: a discount supermarket chain leads a consortium controlling one, and a family of American jeans manufacturers has controlled the other since 2006. Neither has anything to do with El Al's ownership.
Israir: Controlled by a Rami Levy-Led Consortium, Bought Out of Bankruptcy
Israir Airlines, Israel's second-largest carrier since it overtook Arkia during the COVID-19 pandemic, is controlled by a consortium built around BGI Investments (~51%) and Rami Levy Hashikma Marketing (~24%), with roughly 10% floated on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in June 2022 at a valuation of about NIS 220 million. The airline's previous owner, IDB Development, collapsed into receivership, and in a court-supervised bidding process that closed in January 2021, the Rami Levy-led group won with an NIS 162 million ($50.4 million) offer, beating rival bids from businessmen Yigal Dimri and Moti Ben-Moshe and a UAE-based Israeli investor. Retail entrepreneur Rami Levy, best known for his eponymous discount supermarket chain, is the controlling figure behind BGI and the airline's effective owner, though the consortium structure and the 2022 public listing mean he does not hold Israir outright. Levy is Shomer Shabbos, and Israir does not operate flights on Saturday under his ownership, leaving Arkia as the only Israeli airline that still flies on Shabbat.
Arkia: Owned by the Nakash Brothers of Jordache, and Currently for Sale
Arkia Israel Airlines, the country's oldest airline (founded in 1949 as Israel Inland Airlines), has been controlled since 2006 by Jordache Enterprises, the American jeans company founded by the Nakash brothers Joe, Avi, and Ralph, who hold roughly 70% through Kanaf-Arkia Airlines; airline employees hold the remainder through Tut, the Aviation and Tourism Employees Corporation, most recently cited at roughly 18% to 22% depending on the source. The same Nakash family has separately been involved in operating Eilat's port infrastructure through Papo Maritime, giving the family a footprint across two very different corners of Israeli aviation and logistics.
The Nakash brothers entered advanced talks in February 2026 to sell control to American investor Elliot Zemel, according to Globes' original reporting on the negotiations, at an estimated valuation near $50 million. Those talks broadened into a wider sale process by March 2026, with roughly ten bidding groups competing and a binding-offer deadline set for April 15, 2026. By mid-2026, employees were publicly resisting a potential sale to a Haredi-linked buyer, according to the Times of Israel's reporting on the dispute, citing their right of first refusal and objecting to any buyer who would end Arkia's Shabbat flights. As of this writing no transaction has closed, meaning Arkia's ownership, unlike Israir's, may not stay put much longer.
Why Neither Airline Is Connected to El Al
It's a common point of confusion given the timing: national carrier El Al changed hands in the same general period, with Eli Rozenberg's Kanfei Nesharim acquiring control in September 2020, just months before the Israir sale closed. The two transactions are entirely unrelated: different buyers, different companies, different capital structures. El Al's Rozenberg has no ownership stake in either Israir or Arkia.
The Map, at a Glance
| Airline | Controlling Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Israir | Rami Levy-led consortium: BGI Investments (~51%), Rami Levy Hashikma Marketing (~24%) | Controlling since January 2021; ~10% publicly traded on TASE since 2022; does not fly on Shabbat |
| Arkia | Jordache Enterprises (the Nakash brothers), ~70%, via Kanaf-Arkia Airlines; employees hold the remainder | Controlling since 2006; in an active, unresolved sale process as of mid-2026 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Israir?
A consortium led by Rami Levy controls Israir: BGI Investments holds roughly 51% and Rami Levy Hashikma Marketing roughly 24%, with about 10% of the parent company publicly traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since a 2022 listing.
Who owns Arkia?
Jordache Enterprises, the American jeans company controlled by the Nakash brothers, owns roughly 70% of Arkia through Kanaf-Arkia Airlines; Arkia employees own most of the remainder through the Tut employee corporation.
Is Arkia for sale?
Yes. The Nakash brothers entered talks to sell control in February 2026, and the process widened into a competitive bidding round with roughly ten groups by March 2026. No sale had closed as of mid-2026, and employees have publicly opposed any buyer who would end Shabbat flights.
Related Olam Coverage
- Who Owns El Al? Inside Israel's Flag Carrier
- Rami Levy: Israel's Discount Supermarket King
- Israir Airlines: Fleet, Owner, Routes and Rank in Israel
Sources
Wikipedia, Israir; Times of Israel, Rami Levy's Israir acquisition (2020); Wikipedia, Arkia; Globes, "US investor in advanced talks to buy Arkia" (Feb. 2026); Times of Israel, employee opposition to a Haredi buyout (2026); The Yeshiva World, Israir's Shabbat policy under Levy.
