10 Israel Trips Gifted by Arkia to US Shluchim

By COLlive staff

Arkia, Israel’s homegrown airline founded in 1950, has grown from a modest carrier serving short domestic routes and nearby destinations such as Europe, into a vital global link.

Today, Arkia is celebrating the first anniversary of its popular Tel Aviv–New York route—their entry into the U.S. market. This special route offers affordable non-stop flights in coach and business class seats without Shabbat service and mehadrin kosher catering tailored to the Orthodox Jewish community.

In a New York meeting last month, Sky 2000 Travel’s Shmulik Kravitsky and Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz agreed to mark the occasion by offering the US shluchim community 10 free packages, each consisting of one non‑stop round‑trip ticket to Eretz Yisroel for a shliach, plus three free nights at a mehadrin hotel in Yerushalayim, plus a $770 ticket for a spouse to join the winner.

Every official USA Shliach is eligible for one entry into the raffle — no strings attached, it’s real. Winners must complete travel by June 30, 2026. If a winner has unexpected circumstances that prevent him from using his prize, he may transfer it at no charge to a fellow eligible shliach.

Sky 2000 Travel will conduct the raffle drawing on Sunday, February 22, 2026 (5th of Adar), in the presence of Rabbi Lipa Brennan and Rabbi Shlomo Friedman. The drawing will use a random selection tool and be recorded for full transparency.

Arkia stands out for its steadfast reliability amid security challenges. This is in contrast to foreign carriers that have consistently suspended or pulled back service to Israel during periods of tension, often on short notice, leaving passengers stranded. Arkia missed none of its scheduled flights except during AM K’LAVi airspace closures.

Speaking to COLlive, Shmulik Kravitsky said, “It’s beautiful to see Arkia—which firmly believes Israel is always safe to land and take off from, no matter the circumstances—celebrate its first U.S. anniversary by granting 10 generously provided trips to the front‑liners of American Jewry. These shluchim spread the Rebbe’s message that Israel is the safest place on Earth, making Arkia’s gesture a powerful alignment of conviction and action. Thank you, Arkia!”

If you are an official Chabad shliach in the USA and would like more information on how to participate for free—no strings attached—in this raffle organized by Sky 2000 Travel, please click here.

Please pass this article along to any shluchim you know, so they can learn about the opportunity to fly free to Eretz Yisroel.