Israeli airline Air Haifa will launch a new route between Haifa and Athens on Thursday, January 2. The airline will operate five weekly flights with round-trip fares of $348 in January, according to the company’s website.
The company already operates three daily flights to Larnaca in Cyprus for $118 roundtrip and two daily flights to Eilat for NIS 380.
Haifa Air currently operates all its flights from Ben Gurion Airport but as of December 22, Haifa Air will begin operating its flights from its main base at Haifa Airport. This was the original plan when the company began operations in September, but due to the closure of Israeli airspace in the north, Haifa Air was forced to shift its operations to Ben Gurion Airport.
“Passengers traveling from the airport are asked to plan to come to the terminal 75 minutes before the scheduled flight departure time,” the company said. “In addition, biometric passenger screenings for international flights have recently been installed. A duty-free shop is expected to open at the airport in several months.
Haifa Air’s founders include Palo Alto Networks founder Nir Zuk, Strauss Group CEO Shai Babad, former El Al CEO Gonen Ussishkin, who is the CEO of the new airline, former El Al Chief Commercial Officer Michael Strassburger, and former CEO of ZIM Ravi Daniele.
Aviation industry sources have expressed significant doubts about an airline’s ability to successfully operate from Haifa Airport. In the past, international companies such as TUS Airlines operated flights from the northern airport, but after a short period of operation from Haifa, the company returned its planes to Ben Gurion Airport. Israeli airlines that currently operate domestic flights between Ben Gurion Airport and Ramon also face difficulty in operating there, due to the length of the runway, which limits the operation of large aircraft. The runway cannot be extended today, because it borders refineries, the sea and the new Chinese-owned port.
Another difficulty is accessibility to transportation. The mayor of Haifa announced that, “In order to make Haifa Airport accessible to travelers, starting December 22, the new Egged bus line No. 100 will be operated for the first time. The line will connect the Central Station in the Gulf, which is the transportation station, the center of an integrated transportation system, the only one of its kind.” In Israel, directly to the station entrance at Haifa Airport, the new line will operate every 30 minutes and will allow convenient access for passengers arriving at the station via Israel trains, bus, metro or cable car.”
The airline added: “Before starting operations from Haifa, and to ensure a fast and comfortable experience, infrastructure work is being completed at Haifa Airport with an investment of tens of millions of shekels by the Israel Airports Authority and the Ministry of Transport.” As part of this, a comprehensive refurbishment of the runway was undertaken, operating systems were updated, and additional parking spaces were provided near the station.
Published by Globes, Israel Business News – en.globes.co.il – on December 9, 2024
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