Arkia has announced that it will launch Tel Aviv - Tokyo flights from October 25. To date Israelis wishing to fly to Japan have only had two options: Direct flights with El Al, or connection flights via the UAE with flyDubai or Etihad.
Arkia will operate twice weekly flights from Tel Aviv to Tokyo on Sundays and Wednesdays with the return flights on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Arkia said, "The new route constitutes another pillar in the implementation of Arkia's strategic plan to expand its operations to long-haul destinations and expand operations in East Asia. Tokyo joins the company's developing international destination network, which currently includes New York, Bangkok and Hanoi, alongside the new destinations it recently announced - Phuket in Thailand, which will begin operating in July 2026, and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in Vietnam, which will begin operating in October 2026."
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Arkia says that one-way Tel Aviv - Tokyo fares will start at $750 in economy class, including a 23 kilogram suitcase. In business class, fares will start at $2,200 one way.
"It was clear that Japan had to be the next destination"
It is no coincidence that Arkia chose Tokyo. In the past year, more and more Israelis have been visiting Japan.. The Ofakim tourism company reports that in May alone there was a 25% growth in trips to Japan compared with 2024, and that they are seeing a significant increase in bookings. Ophir Tours also recognizes a sharp increase in the number of visitors in recent years, and an increase of tens of percent in inquiries and bookings to Japan compared with the pre-Covid period.
According to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization, in 2025, over 42 million international tourists visited the country, a historic record.
Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz said, "After the success of the routes to New York and East Asia, and due to the high demand we are seeing from the Israeli public, it was clear to us that Japan should be the next destination. Similar to the move we made on the popular route to New York that resulted in a fall in fares, here too we are expanding the choices of the Israeli public and introducing additional competition to the flight market to Japan."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on June 2, 2026.
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