Air Haifa Maintains Normal Operations Amid Ben Gurion Airport Chaos
On a chaotic Thursday at Ben Gurion Airport, which disrupted thousands of travelers and raised concerns for the coming weeks, Air Haifa stood out by operating smoothly. While over 100,000 passengers are expected to pass through Ben Gurion this Thursday, potentially repeating the turmoil, Air Haifa leveraged its operational base at Haifa Airport to avoid the disruptions affecting the main international hub.
On the troubled day, Air Haifa operated approximately 32 flights, transporting around 2,200 passengers to Israel and nearby international destinations without delays. Meanwhile, many travelers were stranded in Cyprus, Greece, and at Ben Gurion itself. Notably, Larnaca in Cyprus is currently the most popular destination from Ben Gurion, with about 20 flights departing and 22 arriving daily. Cyprus ranks as the second largest destination by passenger volume from Ben Gurion, with roughly 206,000 travelers in July, while Greece remains the top destination with about 426,000 passengers.
Air Haifa continues to expand its network, recently launching a route to Thessaloniki and achieving a record 58,000 passengers in July. The airline serves destinations including Eilat, Cyprus, Greece, and Bulgaria. In parallel, the Israel Airports Authority is constructing a new parking lot at Haifa Airport with 900 spaces on a 20-dunam area north of the passenger terminal to support growing traffic.
This operational resilience by Air Haifa highlights the advantage of its separation from Ben Gurion Airport, especially during periods of high congestion and administrative challenges at Israel's main international gateway.
