Israel’s Wing of Zion Aircraft Takes Off From Nevatim Air Base for United States

Israel’s new official aircraft, named Wing of Zion, took off on Tuesday from Nevatim Air Base to the United States on its first official flight, according to the public broadcaster Kan.

“A partial reply from the Office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to a request filed by the Freedom of Information Movement under the Freedom of Information Law reveals some details of the cost of the Israeli Prime Minister's aircraft 'Wing of Zion', but leaves essential questions about the true cost of the project unanswered, according to a report published by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth”

Al-Jazeera Net

The flight is intended to transport equipment and security personnel ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress and his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden next week.

Al-Jazeera Net

The Prime Minister's Office was surprised to learn recently that the plane could accommodate only 60 passengers, far fewer than the expected number of aides, security personnel, and journalists, and sources from the Prime Minister's Office criticized Israel Aerospace Industries for having built an aircraft that does not meet its needs.

The Prime Minister's Office told Kan that 'the plane will fly on schedule with maximum safety and that it is ready for the mission after passing all the preparation tests from A to Z.'

The flight costs more than $200,000, and the aircraft is described as a reconfigured and modernized Boeing 767 that has been the subject of a political fight in Israel for several years.

A partial reply from the Office of the Israeli Prime Minister to a request filed by the Freedom of Information Movement under the Freedom of Information Law reveals some details of the cost of the Wing of Zion, but leaves essential questions about the true cost unanswered, according to a report published by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

According to the official documents cited in the report, the Wing of Zion aircraft project was completed in December 2021 and its construction cost reached 364.91 million shekels (122.5 million USD), while the response did not clarify whether this amount includes the purchase price of the aircraft from the Australian airline Qantas, which amounted to 76 million shekels (25.5 million USD).

Al-Jazeera Net

The figures conflict with estimates from the Israeli State Comptroller's Office, which indicate that the total cost of the project was about 729 million shekels (244.5 million USD), including the aircraft purchase, upgrading and converting it into a passenger jet, equipping it with advanced communications and defense systems, and establishing infrastructure including a special hangar at Nevatim Air Base.

The Freedom of Information Movement’s executive director Heidi Nigiv said, 'By disclosing the operating costs of the Wing of Zion aircraft, it becomes clear that it is a far more expensive option than renting a plane for the Prime Minister’s use.'

She added that it is infuriating that the Office of the Prime Minister continues to hide crucial information about costs, starting with the one-off updates made to the Wing of Zion at a cost of 7.35 million shekels (2.5 million USD).

After the Wing of Zion project was completed, a transitional phase followed during which the aircraft and its dedicated infrastructure underwent periodic maintenance, lasting until August 2023, at a cost of 17.5 million shekels (about 6 million USD).

“Lazar Berman is the diplomatic correspondent for the Times of Israel”

The Times of Israël

The aircraft entered service in February 2024 on a trip to Athens that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not board, before he officially inaugurated its use on his first flight aboard it to Washington on July 22, 2024.

Operating costs disclosed through the end of 2025 show 2023 operating expenses of about 6.27 million shekels (roughly 2 million USD), 2024 operating costs of 34.18 million shekels (11.5 million USD), and 2025 operating costs totaling 18.67 million shekels (6 million USD).

The report says the Office refused to disclose operating costs for each trip separately, and justified the refusal by stating that such detailed disclosure would constitute a violation of state security or the safety or welfare of any person.

It also says the same reasons led to the refusal to disclose maintenance costs for each calendar year separately, including cabin maintenance, repairs, design changes, and protections, while the data cited show total operating costs for 2023–2025 amounted to 60 million shekels (20 million USD).