New Israeli airline company Air Haifa to begin service soon, will ease travel for northern residents

Israel's brand-new 'start-up' airline company, Air Haifa, vows to offer competitive rates, safety, and comfort to its future passengers.

Based in northern Israel's city of Haifa, the new airline is expected to receive its first aircraft, an ATR 72-600 with 72 seats, from France at the end of July. In addition, Air Haifa plans to buy another two identical aircraft from ATR.

The launch of the new airline company coincides with the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed terrorist group, Hezbollah, which has fired more than 5,000 aerial projectiles against northern Israel since last October.

Air Haifa hopes to boost northern Israel’s struggling economy with new job opportunities.

“We are very excited about the arrival of Air Haifa’s first aircraft in Israel. Air Haifa is the first new Israeli airline since the 1990s, and we are proud, especially in this period, to be the first commercial airline in the country's history with its operational base at Haifa International Airport,” stated co-founder and CEO Gonen Usishkin.

The airline plans to begin ticket sales shortly after completing the operational licensing process with the Civil Aviation Authority, likely by September. Once operational, Air Haifa will offer regular flights to the southern resort town of Eilat and various Mediterranean destinations.

Air Haifa was established in 2023 by a team of Israeli entrepreneurs headed by Nir Zuk, the American-Israeli founder of the cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks, and Lior Yavor. They were joined by Usishkin and Michael Strassburger, former senior executives of Israel's flagship airline, El Al.

Most Israeli and foreign airline companies in Israel are based at Ben-Gurion International Airport, Israel’s largest airport in the center of the country. Air Haifa will reportedly become the first airline company to exclusively operate from the small Haifa International Airport in northern Israel, making flights more accessible for some 3 million residents in northern Israel.

In addition, Air Haifa's website claims: “Instead of a long drive to the airport and arriving 3 hours before the flight to wait on lines and at the gate, our passengers will enjoy the convenience of flying internationally from their local airport and getting from their doorstep to onboard the airplane in less than ~90 minutes.”

The new airline is expected to have a positive impact on international tourism after the war.

The northern Galilee region is home to famous Jewish and Christian sites mentioned in the Bible, including the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding area, where Jesus performed many miracles. Known for its scenic beauty, the Galilee has at times been compared to Italy’s famous Tuscany region.

Haifa International Airport was established by Great Britain in 1934 during the British Palestine Mandate. At that time the airport was used by the British Royal Air Force and the British-Iraqi oil company APS.

In modern times, Haifa airport has offered domestic Israeli flights as well as selected international flights to nearby destinations such as Crete, Rhodes in Greece and Larnaca in Cyprus.