Air Haifa Becomes Israel's Newest Low-cost Carrier

‍DALLAS – Air Haifa (E2) has become Israel’s newest low-cost carrier (LCC), operating flights out of Haifa International Airport (HFA). The low-cost carrier (LCC) received its operating license on Monday, September 23, 2024.

The new carrier will offer flights from HFA to Eilat (ETH) in Israel and Larnaca (LCA), a port city on the south coast of Cyprus, from mid-October. Flights from Haifa to Eilat start October 13 and to Cyprus on October 14.

However, due to ongoing security risks in Israel, E2’s inaugural flights to ETH are set to operate from Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) at this time. Recent reports also mark September 30 and October 11 as the dates E2 will have daily flights from TLV to Ramon Airport (ETM), the second busiest in Israel, and back.

The new carrier will use an ATR72-600 aircraft, featuring an all-economy cabin offering 72 seats arranged in a 2-2 configuration. The first of two ATR 72-600 was delivered in July, following a firm order placed in 2023. The LCC offers a new alternative for travelers, especially on domestic routes.

Nir Zuk, the founder of Palo Alto Networks, Strauss Group CEO Shai Babad, former El Al CEO Gonen Ussishkin, former El Al chief commercial officer Michael Strassburger, and former ZIM CEO Rafi Danieli are among the founding members of the LCC.

Turbulent Times in Israel

Israel's aviation sector is experiencing unprecedented changes while the country presents significant security risks to airlines. Several international airlines have suspended flights into and out of Israel, leaving mainly Israeli carriers operating regular scheduled services to and from the country. 

This has spurred Israel’s national carrier El Al Israel Airlines (LY) to adjust its flight route network to focus on providing services where there is sustained demand. Moreover, last month LY fixed the prices of air tickets to four destinations until the end of the year. The four destinations serve as hubs for LY’s flights to and from Israel. 

They include Larnaca (LCA), Athens (ATH), Vienna (VIE) and Dubai (DXB). Frequencies to these airports have been increased so that passengers have a choice of connecting flights. LY’s subsidiary Sund’Or (LY) and Arkia Airlines (IZ) have also optimized their flight schedules to ensure that passengers are provided with connectivity to, from and within Israel.