(haipo) – A subcommittee of the Haifa Local Planning and Building Committee approved last night (Monday, 7/4/25) at its meeting the recommendations of the city engineer team that oppose the text of the TAMA 1/13 plan in its current form.
Following a recent discussion held at the National Planning and Building Council regarding TAMA 1/13 – which deals with the expansion of domestic airport sites – the Haifa Local Planning and Building Committee was required to formulate its position. At the end of a discussion held last night, the committee approved the recommendations of the city engineer team, which oppose the wording of the plan in its current form.
According to the city engineer and his team, the new plan only partially replaces TAMA 15 – which was a comprehensive master plan for aviation in Israel, both domestic and international – without providing a comprehensive and hierarchical response to national needs in the field. This, it is claimed, has created a "planning vacuum" that weakens the status of Haifa Airport and deprives it of a real future horizon for development.
Fear of institutionalizing a temporary solution
One of the main issues that the municipality is warning about is the permanent establishment of the Haifa airport as a temporary solution for light general aviation operations, which are set to be relocated from the Herzliya airport. According to them, the Hadera airport – which is intended to be a permanent replacement – has not been promoted in practice, and its plan does not include a clear planning framework, but only a general “symbol” on maps. The practical meaning: Haifa could become a permanent solution, without considering the economic, environmental and touristic significance of this.
Damage to the economic potential of the metropolis
The city engineer emphasizes that the limited length of the runway in the approved plan – only 1,547 meters – does not allow for the landing of aircraft for effective international ranges in Europe. This not only harms the airport's ability to serve as a regional international airport, but also Haifa's potential to become a significant tourist and economic hub in the north. Any future change in the length of the runway will require a change to the TAMA, a long and complicated process.
Call for anchoring a predetermined plan
The city engineer team recommends determining the development route and the length of the route in advance as an integral part of the plan, and not leaving room for temporary arrangements that do not include a clear horizon. This is in contrast to the flexibility detailed in the plan specifically for the future field in Hadera, which remains without basic planning details – a situation that could perpetuate the Haifa field as an unplanned permanent solution.
The conclusions and recommendations approved by the local committee:
- To oppose the wording of the TAMA 1/13 plan in its current form, and to demand comprehensive master planning for airports in the country, similar to TAMA 15.
- Determine a predetermined route and runway length for the Haifa airport, which will allow development into a regional international range.
- To rule out the fixation of the airport in Haifa as a temporary solution for Herzliya's activities, especially in the absence of a pre-emptive and statutorily anchored alternative solution.
- To emphasize the importance of aviation development that integrates with the economic and tourist development of the Haifa metropolis, as also stated in the 75th National Development Plan.
It is strange that the municipality's response does not refer at all to the regional airport in Ramat David, a 10-minute shuttle ride from Haifa, which would provide the best solution for all the incoming tourism needs of Haifa and the north. Instead, the municipality presents an imaginary target for a landing site in the bay, the purpose of which is unrealistic.
Waiting for the construction of an international airport in Haifa.
An international airport in the city would be a major nuisance to the residents around it, I hope it doesn't get built.
It is possible to simply stretch a route from the southeastern corner (where "Animal Cruelty" was located) into the sea, in a north/northwest direction, without disturbing the new port. By establishing a modern terminal with a monorail transportation connection to the existing transportation terminal in the heart of the bay. Which would result in an excellent connection to all parts of the country in a simple and fast way. What's more, the aircraft traffic would not pass over residential neighborhoods and would not be a nuisance to residents.
The preoccupation with the Haifa airport has become a sick obsession. Enough is enough! Extend the runway, sort things out, and get the airport back into full operation.
The runways need to be dried out in the sea north of the Gulf Port, extending another kilometer into the sea, and the existing runway needs to be attached to the dried section.
This is a robotic port that will hardly interfere if planes land there. The cranes the Chinese brought are also too high and they will replace them with half-height cranes and there will be no flight restrictions.
In the end, they will have no choice. They will move the factory between the field and the sea and extend the field towards the sea.
The smartest thing to do is to turn Haifa into a significant regional center in the northern region, as has been planned for years, and now we have the means to make it happen.
Let's extend the route already.
We must extend the route towards the sea. It is complex, but possible!
Municipal decision-makers: Make the right decision.
For the benefit of the residents of Haifa and the north
For the benefit of tourism in Haifa and the north.
For the benefit of developing the city as a tourist destination.
Let's get to work.
Who are the idiots who oppose extending the runway to 2100 meters? Their names should be published.
I oppose
Everyone is in favor. What can be done when senior experts have determined that this is not feasible from an aviation and safety perspective?