Israel’s newest airline since the 1990s, airHaifa, is preparing to launch services soon. It will operate a fleet of ATR72-600 aircraft.
Founded by ex-El Al CEO Gonen Usishkin, the commercial airline, the first to be based in Haifa, Northern Israel, intends to fly all year round from Haifa International Airport. Usishkin has set up the airline alongside fellow ex-El Al senior executives Michael Strassburger and Lior Yavor.
The airline is aiming for certification from the CAAI (Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority), which is expected by September 2024. Ticket sales and company launch activities should start soon after. On its website, Air Haifa said it would target Mediterranean and Red Sea destinations but did not disclose any further details. It said it would reveal more once certification is achieved.
As reported by ch-aviation, back in 2023, airHaifa was originally launched as a low-fare carrier, with the aim to operate routes to Eilat Ramon in southern Israel and the Romanian capital, Bucharest. Now, it seems a renewed attempt to get launch plans rolling is being made with ATR 72-600s one year later.
Haifa Airport sees limited passenger traffic and is predominantly a smaller general aviation airport. In June 2023, regional airline Universal Air commenced services from Haifa to Cyprus – the first international flight to take off since 2019.
“We believe that it should be easy to just fly safely and simply, and we’re working to make that an everyday reality for everyone,” a statement on its website said.
Photo: airHaifa
