A new startup airline, Air Haifa, is planning to launch operations in Israel.

The ongoing war in Gaza and the heightened tension along the country’s border with Lebanon has not deterred a group of Israeli entrepreneurs from starting up what is going to be the only scheduled airline operating out of northern Israel. 

Air Haifa, which will be based in the eponymous city, is currently in the process of obtaining its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and expects its first aircraft, an ATR-72-600 turboprop, to arrive in Israel by the end of July 2024. 

While little is currently known about the specific roll out plans, the value proposition of this new carrier is based on the idea of providing people in northern Israel with a convenient way to travel.  

There are no year-round scheduled flights at Haifa International Airport (HFA), which sees limited passenger traffic.  

The alternative for people traveling to and from northern Israel is to drive to Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion Airport (TLV), which, added to the recommended three-hour pre-flight arrival time, makes any air journey rather cumbersome.  

So, Air Haifa expects to be able to cut journey times and provide faster and more convenient access to destinations such as Eilat (ETH), Israel’s southernmost city, located on the Red Sea coast, as well as to other, yet unspecified, destinations around the Mediterranean. 

Air Haifa will be the first new airline to launch in Israel since the 1990s.