Much has been written in the past year about the failure of the Ramon Airport north of Eilat to reach the number of passengers that its planners aimed to achieve. Much has also been written about the proper designation of the airport in Haifa after it has been upgraded. In this article, an idea is presented that can connect the benefits of these two airports, thus making a great contribution to the interests of the residents of the north and the Haifa metropolis on the one hand, and in addition to the interests of the city of Eilat and the country.
What is the proper purpose of the airport in Haifa and how should it be operated?
Among the professionals, and also in the opinion of an absolute majority of the heads of the local authorities in the Haifa metropolis, the airport in Haifa needs an upgrade, but there is no doubt that the airport in Haifa cannot and should not be a complementary airport to the National Airport. On the other hand, the north is indeed the most appropriate place for such an airport. Writer The article is a member of the team that proposed an excellent alternative for the establishment of a complementary field for the National Defense Forces on an artificial island that will be built in front of the coast of the Carmel Castle.
It was already written about in a previous article I published:
Therefore, the airport in Haifa is rightly intended for short-haul flights and to nearby destinations, even after it will be upgraded according to the Subtal 80A plan and its runway will be extended by another 300 m. The question is how such an airport will be able to well serve the needs of the residents of the Haifa region and the entire north In this way, it will contribute to lighten the load in Israel and on the way to Israel and back?
Integration with Ramon airport for destinations in the south and east
It is currently agreed upon and much talked about the suitability of the field in Haifa for short flights within a time span of about two hours from Haifa to countries in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean and even to Romania, Georgia, Bulgaria, etc.
But I present here another proposal for the wise use of flights from Haifa airport while adding many destinations in the south direction, including a combination with Ramon airport.
Haifa Airport (live photo)
How did the closing of the Sde-Dov bus station in Tel Aviv also hurt Haifa and the north?
From the moment the government's problematic decision to close Sde-Dov in Tel Aviv was made in the past, the negative results of which are now undisputed, a serious injury was caused, not only to the city of Eilat and tourism to and from the city, but the aforementioned move also harmed the residents of the Haifa metropolis and the north.
The Israeli airlines that used to have domestic flights to Eilat immediately announced that the closure of Sde-Dov makes flights from Haifa (and Mash Pina) to and from Eilat unviable for them. The reason for this was that some of these flights would stop on the way at Shade-Dov, to drop off passengers in Tel Aviv and pick up passengers from there to Eilat, thus somehow preserving the economic viability of operating them from Haifa.
From that day in July 2019, every resident in the north who wanted to fly to Eilat had to come to Israel in order to fly to the southern city on the coast of the Red Sea. It is quite understandable that for the reasons I mentioned the number of flights to Eilat decreased greatly, mainly from the north of the country and those who did choose to fly from Israel to Eilat passed on the way there Unnecessary and tedious rambling that damaged the quality of the desired vacation.
That is, even then it was clear that there is an almost direct (and unfortunately negative) relationship between the government's decisions regarding the activation or closure of civilian airports and an immediate reciprocal effect on the state of other airports in the country.
The decision of the Netanyahu government and the Minister of Transportation Israel Katz in 2019 to close Sde-Dov added, as expected, an additional burden on the airport in Israel, which was already overloaded at the time, and also eliminated the little activity of the airport in Haifa, at the expense of the convenience of about one and a half million The northerners could profit from this field.
But as mentioned, the consequences of the closure of Sde-Dov did not stop only in Israel and Haifa, this of course also had direct consequences for Ramon Airport which was severely affected by this decision (both before and after the Corona crisis),
In the right combination with the Ramon airport, Can שThe Haifa airport serves as a gateway to countries in Africa, the islands of the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, and Asia
Although the flight range from Haifa Airport to nearby destinations makes it possible to reach from Haifa to Greece, Turkey and even to tourist destinations in Georgia, Bulgaria and Romania. But there is less talk about flights from Haifa to other nearby destinations to the south of us such as Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh and perhaps also to Bahrain and of course direct flights of pilgrims from Haifa to Mecca, provided that Saudi Arabia agrees.
Departure from Haifa and transfer (connection) at Ramon Airport
Furthermore, it is possible to combine these destinations even further south of Israel as well as in Asia, through relatively cheap connecting flights that will start in Haifa, stop at Ramon Airport near Eilat, and from there "the sky is the limit" to all those destinations that Israelis like to reach, such as:
Seychelles, Mauritius, Zanzibar and other destinations in Africa as well as destinations such as India, Thailand, the Maldives and more.
Of course, from Mailat you can also continue to the Emirates and maybe in the future also to destinations like Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Travelers from the Haifa area and the north, are forced to arrive in Israel
If we examine the situation today in relation to cheap onward flights, we will find that many Israeli passengers, including passengers from the Haifa region and the north, still have to arrive in Israel, and from there they choose to fly cheaply to destinations in Asia and Africa via connection flights that mostly stop in Amman, Dubai, Bahrain and Istanbul on the way to these desired goals.
Imagine that for us, the residents of the north, the exhausting trip back and forth to Israel will be spared and we will be able to board our plane in Haifa and continue to the same destinations such as: the Seychelles, the Maldives, Thailand, India and more - with a short stop for a connecting flight at Ramon Airport, instead of taking off there from a route Through Amman, Dubai or Istanbul!
This is exactly the ideal alternative for us residents of the Haifa region and the north to fly from Haifa in a way that will significantly shorten the time from the moment of leaving home to arriving at the hotel at the desired destination abroad and thus also avoiding the hassle of starting the flights from Tel Aviv... and of course everything is also true in the opposite direction when returning home.
In the future, this route through the Bermon-Eilat connection can also be used for the arrival of tourists from the East and the Gulfs to Haifa, and this is not a far-fetched vision...
It is important to note that the operation of the upgraded airport in Haifa will partially, but still significantly, ease the congestion in Israel. This will of course not prevent the need to establish another complementary airport to Israel in the north!
How can flights from Haifa be of great benefit to the city of Eilat?
Many Israelis would be happy to renew the possibility of regular flights from Haifa to Eilat, as was the case before the closure of Sde-Dov. For these flights from Haifa, there was a demand in the past not only from residents from Haifa and the north, but also from many who live between Gush Dan and Haifa. In order to make it economically viable for the airlines to renew the flights from Haifa to Eilat, my proposal to combine flights from Haifa to Ramon with onward flights to destinations abroad in Africa, the Indian Ocean, and Asia, will make it possible to fill every plane that takes off from Haifa to the south both with passengers continuing from Ramon abroad and For passengers whose final destination is Eilat, Aqaba or Taba.
I estimate that this will be very economically viable for the airlines and of course they will be very attractive to the many potential passengers from the north.
This alternative would also be a good answer, which would compensate, even if partially, the city of Eilat and its tourist centers, for the damage caused by the closure of Sde-Dov and of course breathe new life into the two affected airports - Haifa and Ramon, which badly need the renewal of these flights from Haifa to Eilat and back.
And yet: according to my proposal, the Bermon airport, if it is used both for passengers coming from Haifa to Eilat and for such onward flights to desirable foreign destinations - is expected to even exceed the amount of passengers that was planned in advance upon its establishment, in addition to additional actions that the government must take!
It is essential to activate the The airport in Haifa in an economically and environmentally balanced way, without making it difficult for the quality of life of the residents in the area
Despite what is said here, it must be remembered that hundreds of thousands of residents live around the airport in Haifa who may be harmed by the noise hazards that the airport may cause if it is operated in a manner that does not consider the environment.
The operation of the field in Haifa for short-haul flights and as a gateway for onward flights from intermediate destinations such as Eilat or Istanbul, must maintain a correct balance between the expected economic and transportation benefits upon its operation and between the protection of the quality of life of the many residents living around the bay.
As it is done in many airports in the world, which operate in similar terrain conditions, some limitations must apply to the operation of the above-mentioned field subject to stringent noise and environmental standards accepted in the world for operating airports in populated areas. This begins with the type of aircraft that will be allowed to land and take off from Haifa, continues with the permitted take-off directions and ends in the limit of the field's operating hours.
As is customary in most vital infrastructures, it is clear that some damage will be caused to the immediate environment, and the trick is to find the right balance between the expected benefits and the possible damages, while making a constant effort to minimize the damages and maximize the benefits, which is certainly possible.
The field must also include good transportation accessibility, a reasonable amount of parking spaces and especially allow easy access by several means of public transportation.
Everything offered here is applicable and possible already in the coming years!
And as for the future: a complementary airport for Israel - in the north of the country
At the same time, the government must promote the decision to establish a supplementary airport for Israel, when it is known that the greatest passenger potential exists in the north.
In my opinion, there is a good alternative to such a field on an artificial island in front of the Carmel Castle beach, at reasonable costs, with maximum benefits and minimum damages. It seems that even in the Ministry of Transportation as well as in other relevant ministries, this consciousness is already starting to permeate, as most of the heads of local authorities in our region have realized... and therefore one hour earlier is fine!
While trying to cleanse the bay of all the pollution in it, like in Zen and other polluting factories, you want to build an airport in the very same place that will pollute the bay and the city of Haifa to no end and much more. Clean the bay and let us breathe fresh and purified air without the risk of cancer.
Why is a field in front of an island in the Carmel Castle better than extending the route of the existing field in Haifa?
Haifa needs an international airport. Not small, not regional, not complementary, not limited. Field for 10-20 million passengers a year.
Haifa, as a metropolis with 1 million people and another 2 million in the north and half a million within half an hour's drive from the south, needs a large international airport. not small not mediocre And with all due respect to connection flights to Africa and flights in small planes from Haifa to Ramon, Haifa should be on the world aviation map. With the father to the connection through Haifa.
This requires a serious field, in a large area, with at least two runways of a suitable length for wide-body aircraft, in an area that will be comfortable and accessible and easy to take off and land. Between Ramat David, Megiddo, Achihud, Hatzer Ysaf, or Yiwu Yam to routes north of the Gulf port
One thing is clear: if it doesn't really happen in the next few years, Haifa's future is very bleak.
right
The natural place in the country to establish an airport is in Haifa more than in Tel Aviv and more than the other places. Simply from the moment that a normal route house is established with a system of roads and trains that connect to the largest station in the country, the refineries and other pollutants are dismantled, the value of the land in the Gulf will increase, tens of thousands more jobs will be added with high pressure alcohols On the roads of Gush Dan, the shipping port will flourish. But something in the Likud government still thinks that Haifa is red and that Haifa is supposed to be the dumping ground for the country. Maybe Nasrallah will save Haifa when he bombards the Gulf and the refineries and then the government will have no choice but to build the airport.
It all depends on the airlines and flight operators.
Therefore, this entire article is applicable only in communist regimes
Deb, the problems you describe regarding the extension of the route in Haifa near the Gulf port (erosion of the sand in Kiryat Haim and exposure to the tsunami), are secondary in my opinion. These problems already exist in a variety of projects that have been approved and/or planned ("Seafront", Rambam, the Gulf Port, etc.). Haifa's advantage over an island in the sea is first and foremost a transportation one (the proximity to the Gulf Central, which will be reached by high-speed trains), And it is expected to cost much less, probably less than half. Again, the main point is transportation, not cost.
I don't understand why you point out that Bibi, the government, the finance minister closed Sde Dov.
Sde Dov is closed because it belongs to private individuals, and it does not belong to Bibi.
Who needs an airport in Haifa, if the hijackers/or whatever they call it, charge $400 for a flight to Cyprus, a 25 minute flight.
I'm not sure, that the municipality of Tirat Carmel is ready to be robbed of the strip of beach that belongs to them
I have been writing for years in articles like this what is written. Board a flight in Haifa and land in Netbag or Ramon. transit directly to duty free and the luggage is sent directly to the plane. We saved the trip and the queues in Netbag and Ramon
Completely professional advice
Haifa needs a Yaron airport.
Well done Yaron. Good offer for the whole country. Furthermore, I will mention two more advantages to your proposal:
A. Residents of Eilat who would come to Tel Aviv to receive medical treatment will be able to do so in Haifa's hospitals, led by the Rambam Medical Center, which is planned to expand anyway. This is until a hospital with full treatment capabilities is established in Eilat. This will shorten the travel time for Eilat residents and provide additional employment for my family. The hospitals in Haifa equipped with the best medical equipment.
B. Lowering the number of flights through the airport will reduce the increase in the number of passengers through it and will allow a larger window of time until the establishment of a supplementary airport on an artificial island in front of the shores of the Carmel Castle, a plan I initiated together with the late Hugo Marom, the celebrated airport planner more than two decades ago.
The goal of the state is to hold the citizens by the throat, a single airport is one of the means for this.
Another airport will not be built!!!
Yeher Chokh Yaron for thinking and doing to develop infrastructures that change reality in the north.
In my opinion, there is still room to act to extend the route in Haifa next to the Gulf port, so that flights to the whole world will be possible. A detailed explanation is given in the video here - link…
Hello Dvir, I listened and saw the presentation. You have some fundamental mistakes from a marine and environmental point of view. A. The position of the Gulf port and its breakwaters was dictated by the wave regime, their height, cycle time and direction in order to ensure the safety of ships in the port during stormy conditions and the safety of sailing at low speed that is difficult to control within the navigation channel. This has nothing to do with my knowledge of a possible desire by anyone to prevent the extension of the airport in its current position into the sea.
B. Changing the position of the airport and extending it into the sea will cause two things: 1. Changing the regime of waves and currents in the access channel at the entrance to the port, which anyway is carried out with the help of tugboats (tugs), due to the return of waves from the seaward end of the proposed drying. 2. The aggravation of the erosion of the Kiryat Haim and Kiryat Yam beaches, which is expected to worsen in the future at an increasing rate due to the rise in sea level and the increase in the frequency of storms. Even the solution proposed by Hani of erecting isolated breakwaters, in my professional opinion, will not provide an answer and the erosion will continue to worsen.
third. Even today the airport is in a dangerous situation in case of a tsunami event, which is expected in the future at an unknown time. In such an event, in my professional opinion, the field will be mostly flooded and there is a possibility of damage to the planes and the passenger hall.
The goal of the state is to hold the citizens by the throat, a single airport is one of the means for this.
Another field will not be created!!!
As a resident of Carmel Castle today I reject and protest the proposal to build such a field on the seashore it will not happen!!
This is exactly what needs to be done. Return the flights to Ramon immediately. Cyprus is less important to us, that's for sure
Indeed,,, I hope that the airlines and the Ministry of Transport will adopt the idea..
A small improvement to Yaron Hanan's proposal - residents of Haifa will be able to board flights departing from Ramon, simply by taking off in Haifa in a hot air balloon and jumping straight onto a plane that left Ramon passing through the air. There is no need for it to land in Haifa. Physi Grouper also jumped from the Atlit train.
Yaron, using Ramon for a connection from Haifa and also from Tel Aviv is an excellent idea. The northerners will indeed contribute to us and return the flights to Eilat to be economical and relevant.