Haifa Airport
Encyclopedia
Haifa International Airport is an Israel
i airport located in Haifa
. It is located to the east of the city, close to Kishon Port and Israel Shipyards
and mainly serves civilian flights, with some military usage. Most passenger flights passing through the airport are domestic operations to Eilat and Tel Aviv
. The airport is named after Uri Michaeli, one of the pioneers of Jewish aviation and one of the founders of aviation in Israel. The airport has one runway, and there are plans to expand it onto reclaimed land in the Gulf of Haifa
.
and the Iraqi-British oil company, APS
. In 1936 passenger services to Beirut
and Cyprus
were opened, and in 1938 a regular route to Italy commenced. In 1938 a third of flights into Palestine landed in Haifa but in 1940, civil flights were stopped due to the Second World War in which the airport served the Royal Air Force
's operations in the Middle East as RAF Haifa.
station in Palestine between 1942 and 1948.
Haifa Airport had been established in 1934, as the first international airport in Palestine, originally serving the British Army and the Iraqi-British oil company, APS. In 1940 civil flights were stopped due to the Second World War and it became RAF Haifa. The RAF station closed in 1948 and the airport re-opened as Haifa Airport
.
Operational units at RAF Haifa 1942 to 1948:
. This was followed ten years later by Arkia Israel Airlines
flights. It wasn't until 1994, however, that the airport received international status, and at this time, it was planned that the airport would serve flights to destinations across Europe. Less than a year later, the airport was placed for sale. At this time, great interest in the site was shown by the French construction group, Bouygues
as well as British Aerospace
.
These expected services never really took off however, and it wasn't until 1996, and the start of Israir
flights, that the airport grew. This growth was further increased in 1998 with Aeroel service. Royal Wings
increased route offerings once again with flights from Jordan, whilst Scorpio
started flights to Egypt. In 1998, a new terminal was opened at the airport to cater for all of the services needed in a modern international airport. In the past there were three takeoff and landing runways in the airport, of which only two still exist, and only one is currently in use.
In 2001, talk over expanding the airport restarted when then Finance Minister
, Silvan Shalom
called for an 800 million NIS upgrade to turn the airport into one of an international standard.
2007 saw the first rise in passenger numbers and aircraft movements since 2002 with an increase of 25% in passenger numbers and a 7% increase in aircraft movements over the previous year. In general, between the peak point of its operation in 1999 and 2007 passenger number have fallen by 50%. Aircraft movements have decreased from 2002 to 2007 by 34%.
As part of the later phases of the Haifa Seaport
expansion plan, there are plans to greatly extend the length of the airport's runway (onto reclaimed
land in Haifa Bay), allowing for long-haul narrow-body aircraft operations.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i airport located in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
. It is located to the east of the city, close to Kishon Port and Israel Shipyards
Israel Shipyards
Israel Shipyards is one of the largest shipbuilding and repair facilities in the eastern Mediterranean. The company also operates the first and only privately owned port in Israel....
and mainly serves civilian flights, with some military usage. Most passenger flights passing through the airport are domestic operations to Eilat and Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. The airport is named after Uri Michaeli, one of the pioneers of Jewish aviation and one of the founders of aviation in Israel. The airport has one runway, and there are plans to expand it onto reclaimed land in the Gulf of Haifa
Gulf of Haifa
Haifa Bay is a small bay along the Mediterranean coast of Northern Israel. Haifa Bay is Israel's only natural harbor on the Mediterranean.Fed by the Kishon River, the cities of Haifa and Acre mark its southern and northern capes, while its centre is lined with dunes and the suburban Krayot...
.
History
Haifa Airport was established by the British Mandate in 1934, as its first international airport, originally serving the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and the Iraqi-British oil company, APS
APS
-Education:* Army Public School, group of Army schools in India under AWES* APS Netherlands, or APS International, a Dutch educational non-governmental organization* Abbottabad Public School and College...
. In 1936 passenger services to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
were opened, and in 1938 a regular route to Italy commenced. In 1938 a third of flights into Palestine landed in Haifa but in 1940, civil flights were stopped due to the Second World War in which the airport served the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
's operations in the Middle East as RAF Haifa.
RAF Haifa
RAF Haifa was a Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station in Palestine between 1942 and 1948.
Haifa Airport had been established in 1934, as the first international airport in Palestine, originally serving the British Army and the Iraqi-British oil company, APS. In 1940 civil flights were stopped due to the Second World War and it became RAF Haifa. The RAF station closed in 1948 and the airport re-opened as Haifa Airport
Haifa Airport
Haifa International Airport is an Israeli airport located in Haifa. It is located to the east of the city, close to Kishon Port and Israel Shipyards and mainly serves civilian flights, with some military usage. Most passenger flights passing through the airport are domestic operations to Eilat...
.
Operational units at RAF Haifa 1942 to 1948:
- No. 6 Squadron RAFNo. 6 Squadron RAFNo. 6 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 at RAF Leuchars.It was previously equipped with the Jaguar GR.3 in the close air support and tactical reconnaissance roles, and was based at RAF Coltishall, Norfolk until April 2006, moving to RAF Coningsby until...
detachment (1938-1939) Hawker Hardy - No. 30 Squadron RAFNo. 30 Squadron RAFNo. 30 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the second generation C-130J Hercules from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. The squadron operates alongside No. 24 Squadron and No. 47 Squadron all flying the Hercules.-History:...
detachment {1940) Bristol BlenheimBristol BlenheimThe Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter... - No. 80 Squadron RAFNo. 80 Squadron RAFNo. 80 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II.-Establishment and early service:...
(1941) Hawker Hurricane IHawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... - No. 112 Squadron RAFNo. 112 Squadron RAFNo. 112 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It served in both the First World War and Second World War and was active for three periods during the Cold War. It is nicknamed "The Shark Squadron", an allusion to the fact that it was the first unit from any air force to use the famous...
detachment (1941) Curtiss Tomahawk I - No. 142 Squadron RAFNo. 142 Squadron RAF-History:No. 142 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at RFC Ismailia, Egypt in 1918, flying a mixed bag of reconnaissance and bomber aircraft. On the formation of the Royal Air Force, on 1 April 1918, 142 Squadron was at RFC Julis in Palestine, becoming No. 142 Squadron RAF...
detachment (1918) Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 - No. 144 Squadron RAFNo. 144 Squadron RAFNo. 144 Squadron, RAF, was a British aviation and missle squadron during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.-World War I:No. 144 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Port Said, Egypt, on 20th March 1918...
detachment (1919) de Havilland DH.9 - No. 208 Squadron RAFNo. 208 Squadron RAFNo 208 Squadron is at present a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operates the BAe Hawk aircraft.-World War I:...
detachment (1941) Hawker Audax - No. 213 Squadron RAFNo. 213 Squadron RAFNo. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service...
(1941) Hawker Hurricane IHawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... - No. 260 Squadron RAFNo. 260 Squadron RAFNo. 260 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a reconnaissance and anti–submarine unit in World War I and a fighter unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No...
(1941) Hawker Hurricane IHawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... - No. 261 Squadron RAFNo. 261 Squadron RAFNo. 261 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force notably involved in the defence of Malta from August 1940 till May 1941 and the campaign in Burma.-Formation and World War I:...
(1942) Hawker Hurricane IHawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... - No. 450 Squadron RAAFNo. 450 Squadron RAAFNo. 450 Squadron was a unit of the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. It was the second RAAF Article XV squadron formed for service with the British military, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan...
(1941) Hawker Hurricane IHawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... - No. 651 Squadron RAFNo. 651 Squadron RAFNo. 651 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force in Italy and North Africa during the Second World War and afterwards in Egypt. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were Air Observation Post units working closely with Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A further three of these...
(1948) Auster AOP6
Haifa Airport 1948 0n
The airport reopened for passenger traffic in 1948 with flights operated by Cyprus AirwaysCyprus Airways
Cyprus Airways is the national airline of Cyprus, a public limited company with its head offices located in the capital of the island, Nicosia. It operates scheduled services to 41 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and the Gulf. It flies from both airports of the island, Larnaca and Paphos,...
. This was followed ten years later by Arkia Israel Airlines
Arkia Israel Airlines
Arkia Israel Airlines , usually referred to as Arkia is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is Israel's second largest airline operating scheduled domestic and international services as well as charter flights to destinations in Western Europe...
flights. It wasn't until 1994, however, that the airport received international status, and at this time, it was planned that the airport would serve flights to destinations across Europe. Less than a year later, the airport was placed for sale. At this time, great interest in the site was shown by the French construction group, Bouygues
Bouygues
Bouygues S.A. is a French industrial group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Bouygues is listed on Euronext Paris exchange and is a blue chip in the CAC 40 stock market index. The company was founded in 1952 by Francis Bouygues and since 1989 has been led by his son Martin...
as well as British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
.
These expected services never really took off however, and it wasn't until 1996, and the start of Israir
Israir
Israir Airlines , usually referred to as Israir, is an airline based in Tel Aviv, Israel. It operates domestic scheduled and air taxi flights from Sde Dov Airport, Haifa Airport, Ben Gurion Airport and Eilat Airport, as well as international charter services from Ben Gurion International Airport,...
flights, that the airport grew. This growth was further increased in 1998 with Aeroel service. Royal Wings
Royal Wings
Royal Wings is a Royal Jordanian Group Company and the charter arm of Royal Jordanian, is an airline based in Amman, Jordan. Its main base is Queen Alia International Airport , Amman with a hub at Amman Civil Airport .-History:...
increased route offerings once again with flights from Jordan, whilst Scorpio
Scorpio
-Technology:* Scorpio , Roman artillery invented in 50 BC* Scorpio ROV, a class of submersible remotely operated vehicle, including the Scorpio II and Super Scorpio operated by the US and UK navies* Mahindra Scorpio, an Indian SUV...
started flights to Egypt. In 1998, a new terminal was opened at the airport to cater for all of the services needed in a modern international airport. In the past there were three takeoff and landing runways in the airport, of which only two still exist, and only one is currently in use.
In 2001, talk over expanding the airport restarted when then Finance Minister
Finance minister
The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
, Silvan Shalom
Silvan Shalom
' , born 4 October 1958) is an Israeli politician, member of the Knesset for Likud and the country's Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development. He previously served as the country's Foreign Minister and Finance Minister.-Biography:...
called for an 800 million NIS upgrade to turn the airport into one of an international standard.
2007 saw the first rise in passenger numbers and aircraft movements since 2002 with an increase of 25% in passenger numbers and a 7% increase in aircraft movements over the previous year. In general, between the peak point of its operation in 1999 and 2007 passenger number have fallen by 50%. Aircraft movements have decreased from 2002 to 2007 by 34%.
The airport today
EWLINE
|
As part of the later phases of the Haifa Seaport
Port of Haifa
The Port of Haifa is the largest of Israel's three major international seaports, which include the Port of Ashdod, and the Port of Eilat. It has a natural deep water harbor which operates all year long, and serves both passenger and merchant ships. It is one of the largest ports in the eastern...
expansion plan, there are plans to greatly extend the length of the airport's runway (onto reclaimed
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
land in Haifa Bay), allowing for long-haul narrow-body aircraft operations.