JERUSALEM, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Israel's Arkia Airlines

said on Thursday it signed a deal with low-cost U.S. carrier

JetBlue Airways ( JBLU ) that would allow its customers to

connect ‌on JetBlue ( JBLU ) flights in the United States and ​to Latin

America and the Caribbean.

Privately held ‍Arkia mainly flies domestically and ⁠to Europe

but ⁠it launched flights from Tel Aviv to New York ‌a year ago ​in

competition with its larger rival and flag carrier El Al Israel

Airlines.

Under ⁠the so-called interline ‍agreement, ​Arkia's flight

schedule of up to seven weekly non-stop flights to JFK Airport

will be ‍linked with JetBlue's ( JBLU ) destination network.

"This agreement adds a significant layer to strengthening

Arkia's long-haul operations and expanding the range of services

for customers travelling to North ​America," ‍said Arkia CEO Oz

Berlowitz.

Dave Jehn, a vice president at JetBlue ( JBLU ), the

sixth-largest airline ​in the United States, said the new

partnership with Arkia "allows us to expand our global reach and

provides customers with a wider range of destinations and

seamless connections between flights."

El Al ​also has an interline agreement with JetBlue ( JBLU ) but a

codeshare deal between the airlines ended in October.