Security Tensions
"Foreign Carriers Flee, We Stay": Arkia Battles Plan for Wizz Air Base in Israel
"They flee, we stay!": Arkia declares war on the Wizz Air base plan as foreign airlines abandon Israel amid US-Iran tensions. CEO Oz Berlowitz warns: Relying on foreign carriers is a strategic disaster waiting to happen.
Against the backdrop of escalating security tensions between the US and Iran, and the subsequent reduction of flights to Israel by major foreign carriers including the Lufthansa Group, Israeli airline Arkia has launched a sharp offensive against the proposed establishment of a Wizz Air base in Israel.
In a formal letter addressed to the Director of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Arkia argued that the current wave of cancellations proves that reliance on foreign carriers is a strategic liability.
"The Reality is Materializing Again"
Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz, who has long campaigned against granting excessive benefits to foreign low-cost carriers at the expense of Israeli airlines, pointed to the current situation as vindication of his warnings.
"Berlowitz was the first to warn that with any rise in Middle East tensions, foreign airlines would be the first to reduce operations and leave Israel, as has been learned repeatedly from past events," the company stated. "Now, with the security situation heating up, this reality is materializing once again."
Arkia emphasized that during security emergencies and potential escalations, "Israeli companies are the ones who bear the responsibility and continue to keep Israel's skies open."
The letter outlines Arkia's formal objections to the CAA regarding the Hungarian carrier's potential expansion to a full base of operations in Israel.
Arkia raised two primary concerns:
1. Strategic Vulnerability: The establishment of a Wizz Air base raises concerns about damage to Israeli airlines. Arkia argues that weakening local carriers harms the nation's "functional continuity" during emergencies, as foreign-based crews and aircraft are likely to be withdrawn immediately when conflict arises.
2. Legal Flaws: Arkia contends that the examination process for the Wizz Air base is fraught with "significant legal and administrative difficulties" and suffers from fundamental flaws that require a complete re-evaluation.