Air Haifa

The success of Air Haifa in getting most flights out on time during the chaos at Ben Gurion Airport brings the northern airport back to the center of the discussion on the future of aviation in Israel with plans to expand operations. However, the short runway, the lack of land, and the seaport prevent it from becoming a real alternative to Ben Gurion.

While thousands of passengers were stuck at Ben Gurion Airport and at destinations abroad on Thursday, Air Haifa continued to operate its flights from Haifa Airport as scheduled. Cyprus and Greece, the two most popular destinations for passengers from Israel at the moment, are also the main destinations of the company, which during the crisis flew about 2,200 passengers on 32 flights.

Haifa Airport is facing significant congestion and parking shortages due to record-breaking passenger numbers this summer. Authorities are working on infrastructure upgrades to address the load.

Passengers on an Air Haifa flight to Larnaca were stuck on board the plane in the heavy August heat: "There were babies, children, and adults there. People were banging on the doors."

Following El Al's expansion into hotel bookings, Air Haifa is launching a new service allowing passengers to book accommodation directly via its website, centralizing the entire vacation planning process.

The Israeli airline Air Haifa is breaking stereotypes, from its choice of airport to its multicultural crew. Nasrin Hadid, the first Druze flight attendant at Air Haifa, has become a symbol of this vision, viewing her role as both a career and a national mission.