Arkia Israel Airlines

Infobox_Airline
airline=Arkia
ארקיע
logo=Arkia Israel Airlines logo.svg
logo_size=
fleet_size=14 (+6 orders)
destinations=6 Scheduled
Charter Varies
IATA=IZ
ICAO=AIZ
callsign=ARKIA
parent=Kanaf-Arkia Airlines
Jordache Enterprises
company_slogan=
founded=1949
headquarters= Tel Aviv, Israel
hubs=Ben Gurion International Airport
focus_cities=Sde Dov Airport,
Eilat Airport,
Ovda International Airport
frequent_flyer=
lounge=
key_people=Avi Nakash-Owner
alliance=
security_features=
website=http://www.arkia.com

Arkia Israeli Airlines ( _he. ארקיע, "I will soar"), usually referred to as Arkia is an airline based in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is Israel's second largest airline operating scheduled domestic and international services as well as charter flights to Western Europe and the Mediterranean. Its main base is Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, whilst it also operates significant numbers of flights out of Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv, Eilat Airport, and Ovda International Airport.cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 77 | date= 2007-03-27]

History

Arkia was founded in 1949 as Israel Inland Airlines when it became clear that there was demand for a local airline to connect the north of Israel (especially Tel Aviv) with the southern region of the Negev, as a subsidiary of El Al, Israel's national airline.citeweb | url=http://www.arkia.co.il/site2con/eng/about_new.html | title=About Arkia | accessdate=2007-07-20 | publisher=Arkia Israel Airlines] Flights starting the following year with the airline unsing De Havilland DH.89 aircraft, followed by Douglas DC-3s, to connect Rosh Pina in the north to the port of Eilat in the south. El Al held a 50% stake in the airline at this time with Histadrut, Israel's labour federation, being the other shareholder. [citeweb | url=http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Commercial_Aviation/ElAl/Tran25.htm | title=El Al, the Israeli Airline | publisher=US Centennial of Flight | accessdate=2007-05-29] The airline later evolved to become Eilata Airlines, Aviron, and then to Arkia Israel Airlines. In its first year of service, Israel Inland carried 13,485 passengers on their twice weekly flight, operated by a Curtis Commando.

During the 1950s the airline continued to grow, upgrading their fleet to the larger DC-3, and flying two flights daily. This allowed them to have annual passenger figures of over 70,000. As Eilat continued to grow during the 1960s, so did Arkia, introducing the Handley Page Dart Herald series 200 jet propeller aircraft to its fleet between 1967–1968, enabling Arkia to expand with new routes to Jerusalem, Sharm-el-Sheikh, and Santa Caterina. A subsidiary, Kanaf Arkia Airline and Aviation Services was founded as the airline acquired 50% of the stock of Kanaf Airlines and Aviation Services, and by the end of the 1960s, scheduled flights were flown across Israel, from Rosh Pina in the north, to Ofira in the south.

In March 1980, Kanaf Arkia acquired the remaining stock of Arkia and merged the two operations. The airline grew quickly during the 1980s, moving into the international charter market, and airline maintenance. The airline is now owned by Kanaf-Arkia Airlines (75%) and airline employees (25%). In 2006, the Nakash brothers of Jordache Enterprises, bought Knafaim's 75% share.

In February 2007, the Israeli Tourism Ministry awarded Arkia scheduled operator license for flights to Larnaca, Cyprus (which El Al recently dropped) and Dublin, Ireland. [citeweb | url=http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1171894489862 | title=Arkia gets scheduled status | accessdate=2007-05-05 | publisher=Jerusalem Post] In July 2007 it emerged that the airline planned to file for further scheduled carrier status on routes to New York and Bangkok which it currently operates under a charter status. [citeweb | url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000230308&fid=942 | title=Arkia to add 2 more Boeing 787s | accessdate=2007-07-11] Furthermore, in early 2008, after the Israeli Tourism Ministry opened up the airline market, the airline applied for scheduled carrier status for routes to Barcelona, Berlin, Moscow, and Paris. The status to Paris was granted in February 2008, and the airline announced that on this route, both economy and business class products would operate. At this time, the airline also announced that it would add two Boeing 737 aircraft to its fleet within two years, in addition to the four Boeing 787 aircraft it already had on order.citeweb | url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/DocView.asp?did=1000308850&fid=1725 | title=Arkia named designated carrier on TA-Paris route | date=2008-02-12 | accessdate=2008-02-12 | publisher=Globes | author=Dalia Tal]

Incidents and accidents

On November 28, 2002, approximately 20 minutes before the Kenyan hotel bombing occurred, an Arkia Boeing 757 was narrowly missed by two anti-aircraft missiles shortly after takeoff from Moi International Airport in Kenya. The plane was able to land safely in Tel Aviv. [citeweb | url=http://lindasog.com/public/terrorvictims.htm | title=A History of Terrorism in Israel | accessdate=2007-05-05] [citeweb | url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0211/28/bn.05.html | title=Pilot of Arkia Flight 582 Describes What Happened | accessdate=2007-05-05 | publisher=CNN]

Destinations

Arkia operates scheduled services to the following:

;Europe
*Barcelona (Barcelona International Airport)
*Berlin (Berlin-Schönefeld International Airport) [request pending for scheduled service as of February 2008]
*Cork (Cork Airport)
*Dublin (Dublin Airport)
*Larnaca (Larnaca International Airport)
*Madrid (Madrid Barajas International Airport)
*Moscow (Domodedovo International Airport) [request pending for scheduled service as of February 2008]
*Paris (Charles de Gaulle International Airport);Israel
*Eilat (Eilat Airport)
*Haifa (Haifa Airport)
*Tel Aviv
**Ben Gurion International Airport
**Sde Dov Airport;Middle East
*Amman (Queen Alia International Airport)Additionally, the airline operates charter services to destinations across Europe.

Fleet

The Arkia Israeli Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft as of April 2008: [Citeweb | url=http://www.arkia.co.il/site2con/eng/about_aviation.html | title=Arkia Fleet | accessdate=2007-07-20]

In early 2008, the airline announced that it would purchase two Boeing 737 aircraft within two years.

References

External links

* [http://www.arkia.co.il/ Arkia Israel Airlines]