Israel’s new airline Haifa Airlines has announced that it has received an operating license from the Ministry of Transport and has officially begun selling tickets on its website. The Haifa-based company had originally planned to operate flights from Haifa Airport, but due to the escalation in the north and the closure of airspace from Haifa to the north, the first flights will depart and arrive at Ben Gurion Airport.
Starting Monday, September 30, until the eve of Yom Kippur, Haifa Airlines will operate two flights daily between Ben Gurion Airport and Eilat for NIS 99 each way.
After Yom Kippur, the company plans to operate flights from Haifa Airport, with the first flight from Haifa to Eilat taking off on Sunday, October 13, and on Monday, October 14, Haifa Airlines’ first flight from Haifa to Larnaca in Cyprus. Flights from Haifa are subject to the security situation and may change.
The fare from Haifa to Eilat will be NIS 139 each way, and from Haifa to Cyprus $64 each way. All purchased tickets can be cancelled and deducted from the price of a future flight up to 24 hours before departure.
Ticket prices include a free bag placed under the seat with additional products available for purchase including a cabin bag and a carry-on bag.
Doubts about the aviation industry
Before the airline began operations in Israel, the local aviation industry was skeptical about Haifa Airlines’ ability to take off, despite its ability to reduce congestion at Ben Gurion Airport and provide fast service to passengers, especially those in the north. In the past, several airlines operated out of Haifa Airport and stopped, among other things, due to the limitations imposed at the old Haifa Airport, which included the inability to expand the current runway and bring in larger aircraft, and the lack of parking or access to transportation.
Haifa Air’s fleet includes two 72-seat ATR 72-600s, with additional aircraft expected to be added in the coming months. The industry has also questioned the operating model, as low-cost carriers do not operate such aircraft. Low-cost carriers typically have 180 seats. Other low-cost carriers need as many passengers as possible to be financially viable. Turboprops are already fuel-efficient, but as the industry has pointed out, the ability to make money is limited when there are so few passengers.
This article was published in Globes, Israeli Business News – en.globes.co.il – on September 26, 2024.
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