"It makes people feel bad that a company is successful": Arkia CEO on the criticism regarding delays

Flight delays and congestion at Ben Gurion Airport are annoying passengers, and one of the companies that has been criticized recently is Arkia. CEO Oz Berlovich claims: "Malfunctions do not happen only to us."

But there is a wave of complaints against you.

"It makes people feel bad that a company is successful. In the last two years, Arkia has doubled itself in the number of passengers and aircraft. Yesterday my sister flew from Paphos. I asked why you didn't choose Arkia? She said it was full and she booked a ticket with Tus Airways. As soon as she arrived at the airport, they said there was a three-hour delay, and in the end, they flew after 6 hours. Others have no fewer malfunctions and delays than Arkia, and I do not gloat. Last week there was a report on Channel 12 about all the delays at Ben Gurion Airport, Arkia was number two after El Al in operational punctuality."

Still, I haven't seen such attacks on competitors?

"I don't know how to explain why. There are also interests. The campaign was started by a social media influencer whose family's flight was delayed. I'm not trying to downplay it, but it looks like an organized attack. I saw a post online 'Oz doesn't care about the passengers' with a picture of me. It became personal. The facts are that we are a company operating 20 aircraft, we have doubled our strength. But one of the problems is that we have five sizes of aircraft and therefore we are less flexible because if I have a faulty aircraft for 220 passengers, it cannot be replaced by an aircraft for 120 passengers."

Maybe the problem is that you use a lot of foreign leased aircraft?

"All planes are the same, even if they are leased like the ones we use. When you enter a leased plane, you meet an Israeli flight attendant. You have to understand that there are many variables that cause delays. The US military is still at Ben Gurion Airport, and in addition, there is a shortage of manpower at Ben Gurion Airport and in ground handling companies. We use an external company and there is a huge challenge to recruit employees for them."

Do you not have more delays than others?

"In total, no. 92% of my flights depart on time."

Were there also complaints about a lack of real-time information for passengers regarding a delay?

"I want to clarify, passengers who do not book a ticket through the Arkia website or through a travel agent, that is, those who book with wholesalers who buy seats in advance or through groups, we do not have their details and we have no way to notify them personally. Therefore, in the event of a delay, we notify the party from whom they bought the ticket, and they do not always bother to notify the passenger."

"Arkia is constantly recruiting customer service personnel. We provide a human response on WhatsApp and by phone, but the number of representatives is not enough. I am being honest when I say that Arkia's systems do not provide an adequate response in customer service and they will be replaced in six months with an investment of about 10 million dollars. But not everything depends on us. In the summer, there is significant congestion on air routes, especially in the Mediterranean basin area."

What are the conclusions from recent events?

"We are constantly trying to improve. I am personally involved in managing crises that are not all dependent on us, such as the Greek radar that cancelled 7 of my flights that were stuck abroad and they were not allowed to take off. It is clear that in the summer the risk of a malfunction is higher. But above all, the goal is to keep the passengers safe."

Maybe your rapid growth has stretched your capabilities beyond the limit?

"I don't think so. Airlines need to fly a lot. Sometimes there are a few events and they make a lot of noise. After all, those who leave on time do not talk."