arkia

File:Arikia 4x-bac.jpg

File:Eleanor Roosevelt arriving to Eilat on Arkia 1959.jpg arriving for a visit in Eilat on an Arkia airplane on March 26, 1959]]

Arkia was founded in 1949 as Israel Inland Airlines when it became clear that there was demand for a local airline to connect Tel Aviv with different regions of the then-new state of Israel, especially with Eilat, Israel's important seaport situated on the Gulf of Aqaba.{{cite web | url=http://www.arkia.co.il/site2con/eng/about_new.html | title=About Arkia | access-date=2007-07-20 | publisher=Arkia Israel Airlines |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070518181331/http://www.arkia.co.il/site2con/eng/about_new.html |archive-date = 2007-05-18}} Flights commenced in 1950 with De Havilland DH.89 aircraft, followed by Douglas DC-3s, to inter-connect major towns in Israel from 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 the Histadrut, Israel's labour federation, being the other shareholder.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} The airline later adopted the name Eilata Airlines - Aviron, and Arkia Israel Airlines. {{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} In its first year of service, Israel Inland Airlines carried 13,485 passengers, using a Curtis Commando.

During the 1950s, the airline continued to grow, upgrading its fleet to the larger DC-3, and operating two flights a day on the Tel Aviv-Eilat route. This allowed Arkia to have annual passenger figures of over 70,000. As Eilat continued to grow during the 1960s, so did the airline, introducing the Handley Page Dart Herald 200 turboprop aircraft to its fleet between 1967 and 1968, enabling Arkia to expand with new routes to Jerusalem, and Sharm-el-Sheikh. A subsidiary, Kanaf Arkia Airline and Aviation Services, was founded when the airline acquired 50% of the stock of Kanaf Airlines and Aviation Services, and, by the end of the 1960s, scheduled flights were in operation across Israel, from Rosh Pinna in the north, to Ofira in the south.

File:Arkia Boeing 737-200 Volpati.jpg at Orly Airport, Paris, France, 1982]]

In March 1980, Kanaf Arkia acquired the remaining stock of Arkia and merged the two operators. {{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} The airline grew quickly during the 1980s, moving both into the international charter market and airline maintenance.

The airline is now owned by Kanaf-Arkia Airlines (70%) and airline employees (30%). In 2006, the Nakash brothers of Jordache Enterprises bought Knafaim's 70% share.

In February 2007, the Israeli Tourism Ministry awarded Arkia a scheduled operator's licence for flights to Dublin, and Larnaca, a destination dropped by EL AL.{{cite web | url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1171894489862 | title=Arkia gets scheduled status | access-date=2007-05-05 | publisher=Jerusalem Post}} In July 2007, it was announced that the airline planned to file for further scheduled carrier status on routes to New York City and Bangkok, currently served under charter status.{{cite web | url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000230308&fid=942 | title=Arkia to add 2 more Boeing 787s | access-date=2007-07-11 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015438/http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000230308&fid=942 | archive-date=2007-09-30 | date=2007-07-10 }} 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. {{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} The licence for Paris was granted in February 2008, and the airline announced that both economy and business class would be offered on this route. {{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} At this time, the airline also announced that it would add two Boeing 737 aircraft to its fleet within two years, as well as four Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft it had on order which were to be delivered in 2012.{{cite web | 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 | access-date=2008-02-12 | publisher=Globes | author=Dalia Tal | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516112555/http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000308850&fid=1725 | archive-date=2011-05-16 }} The order for the 787s was moved to a leasing subsidiary owned by MG Aviation and leased to Norwegian Air Shuttle. The order was replaced with an order for 4 A330neo aircraft.{{cite web|url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/29/breaking-news/247301/arkia-to-launch-long-haul-with-airbus-a330-900neo-deal/|title=Arkia to Launch Long-Haul with Airbus A330-900neo Deal|access-date=28 March 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317233345/https://www.routesonline.com/news/29/breaking-news/247301/arkia-to-launch-long-haul-with-airbus-a330-900neo-deal/|archive-date=17 March 2018}}

In November 2018, Arkia became the launch customer of the Airbus A321LR when it received its first aircraft of the type. In May 2024, Arkia announced it was wet-leasing a Boeing 737-700 from Ukrainian company SkyUp.{{Cite web |title=Arkia Israeli Airlines announces B737-700 wet-lease |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/140752-arkia-israeli-airlines-announces-b737-700-wet-lease |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=ch-aviation |language=en}}

In January 2025, Arkia announced it would begin direct flights between NYC and Tel Aviv starting on 8 February, 2025 using Airbus A330-900neo aircraft operated by Iberojet.{{cite web | url=https://vinnews.com/2025/01/13/arkia-launches-direct-flights-from-tel-aviv-to-new-york | title=Arkia Launches Direct Flights from Tel Aviv to New York - VINnews | date=13 January 2025 }}{{Cite web |last=Varley |first=Len |date=2025-01-14 |title=Arkia to Launch Direct Tel Aviv-New York Flights |url=https://aviationsourcenews.com/arkia-to-launch-direct-tel-aviv-new-york-flights/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=AviationSource News |language=en-US}}

{{main|List of Arkia destinations}}

File:4X-AGK Independence Day 09-05-2019b.jpg]]

File:4X-EMA Micha B.jpg]]

File:4X-AVZ_LLBG02-04-2015a.jpg in an earlier livery version.]]

The Arkia Israel Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft {{as of|2022|9|lc=yes}}:{{Cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://www.arkia.co.il/content/about-arkia |access-date=June 12, 2024 |website=Arkia}}

Arkia Israel Airlines has also operated the following aircraft:{{cite web |title=Arkia Fleet - Airfleets aviation |url=http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Arkia.htm |access-date=21 September 2022 |website=www.airfleets.net}}{{cite web |url=https://www.arkia.com/company-profile-history-c132 |title=Arkia Israeli Airlines - Company Profile and History |access-date=2018-02-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301164458/https://www.arkia.com/company-profile-history-c132 |archive-date=2018-03-01 }}

In May 2017 Arkia unveiled a new livery, ahead of the delivery of new aircraft, which consists of a lower-case 'a' on the vertical fin, which also features the striping effect and multicoloured stripes on the aft section and the winglets of each aircraft. The colour of the stripes and logo will vary between each aircraft.{{cite news|title=PICTURE: Arkia revamps livery ahead of fleet renewal |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/picture-arkia-revamps-livery-ahead-of-fleet-renewal-437200/ |publisher=Flightglobal |date=15 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519123026/https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/picture-arkia-revamps-livery-ahead-of-fleet-renewal-437200/ |archive-date=19 May 2017 |location=London |url-status=dead }}

• On 28 November 2002, Arkia Israel Airlines Flight 582, a Boeing 757-300, was narrowly missed by two anti-aircraft missiles, fired at it shortly after take-off from Moi International Airport in Mombasa, Kenya. The plane continued onward and landed safely in Tel Aviv, Israel. The incident occurred approximately 20 minutes before the Kenyan hotel bombing.{{cite web| url= http://lindasog.com/public/terrorvictims.htm| title= A History of Terrorism in Israel| access-date= 2007-05-05| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070509065958/http://lindasog.com/public/terrorvictims.htm| archive-date= 9 May 2007| url-status= dead}}{{cite web | url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0211/28/bn.05.html | title=Pilot of Arkia Flight 582 Describes What Happened | access-date=2007-05-05 | publisher=CNN | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223063018/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0211/28/bn.05.html | archive-date=2007-12-23 }}

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{{cite news |last1=Hofmann |first1=Kurt |title=Israel's Arkia becomes Airbus A321LR launch customer |url=http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engines/israel-s-arkia-becomes-airbus-a321lr-launch-customer |publisher=Air Transport World |date=13 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124002622/http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engines/israel-s-arkia-becomes-airbus-a321lr-launch-customer |archive-date=24 November 2018}}

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{{Commons category-inline|Arkia}}

• {{Official website|https://www.arkia.com}}

{{Portalbar|Israel|Companies|Aviation}}

{{Airlines of Israel}}

{{IATA members|europe}}

{{Transportation in Israel}}

Category:Airlines established in 1950

Category:1949 establishments in Israel

Category:Airlines of Israel

Category:Companies based in Tel Aviv

Category:Israeli brands