‘Air Haifa’: New airline set to launch out of northern Israel

A new airline is set to launch out of Haifa and is expected to bring down the cost of pricey short-haul flights for residents of northern Israel.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev has approved plans for the new commercial airline, dubbed Air Haifa, Channel 12 reported on Tuesday.

The airline’s destinations will include nearby tourist locales Eilat, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.

Flights are expected to begin next year.

The cost of flights from Haifa to Cyprus, a popular tourist destination, is about twice as expensive as the same trip from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Channel 12 said. The new airline is expected to lessen the disparity.

A website for Air Haifa says it will “operate nonstop low-cost services to a variety of regional destinations.”

Haifa Airport, a small facility on the outskirts of the city, hosts commercial flights from the Israeli companies Arkia and Israir. Helicopters, flight schools and other commercial aircraft also operate out of the airport.