Uri Michaeli Haifa International Airport

Haifa Airport (Hebrew: נְמַל הַתְּעוּפָה חֵיפָה, Namal HaTe'ufa Haifa; Arabic: مطار حيفا) (IATA: HFA, ICAO: LLHA), also known as Uri Michaeli Airport, is an international airport in Haifa, Israel. It is Israel's oldest international airport^[1] and the third-busiest (in terms of passenger traffic).^[2] Airport located to the east of the city, close to Port of Haifa and Israel Shipyards, it serves scheduled and charter flights as well as general aviation, with some military usage. The airport is named after Uri Michaeli, one of the pioneers of Jewish aviation and one of the founders of aviation in Israel. The airport has one short runway, 1,318 metres (4,324 ft) in length, and there are plans to extend it by 316 metres (1,037 ft).

Haifa Airport נמל התעופה חיפה‎ مطار حيفا
IATA: HFA ICAO: LLHA
Summary
Airport type	Military/Public
Operator	Israel Airports Authority
Serves	Haifa, Israel
Location	Haifa District, Israel
Hub for	airHaifa
Elevation AMSL	28 ft / 9 m
Coordinates	32°48′34″N 35°02′35″E
Website	IAA Haifa Airport
Map
HFA Show map of Haifa region of Israel HFA Show map of Israel
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 15/33 4,324 1,318 Asphalt

History

Haifa Airport chart

Haifa Airport was established by the British Mandate in 1934 as its first international airport at the location of RAF Haifa, which originally served the British Army.^[3] RAF Haifa already had passenger service by Imperial Airways to Alexandria (since 1931) and Baghdad (since 1932).^[4] In 1936 passenger services by Misr Airwork to Beirut and Cyprus were opened. In 1937, these were joined by Palestine Airways services, as well as Ala Littoria regular services to Brindisi and Trieste via Athens.^[5] In 1938 a third of the flights into Mandatory Palestine landed in Haifa; but in 1940, civil flights were stopped due to the Second World War in which the airport served the Royal Air Force's operations in the Middle East as RAF Haifa. The RAF station closed in 1948, and the airport re-opened as Haifa Airport.

British Mandate period

Royal Air Force Haifa was a station in Mandatory Palestine between 1918 and 1948.^[6]

   List of operational units at RAF Haifa 1938 to 1948[7]
   

• No. 6 Squadron RAF detachment (1938–1939) Hawker Hardy
• No. 30 Squadron RAF detachment (1940) Bristol Blenheim
• No. 80 Squadron RAF (1941) Hawker Hurricane I
• No. 112 Squadron RAF detachment (1941) Curtiss Tomahawk I
• No. 142 Squadron RAF detachment (1918) Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
• No. 144 Squadron RAF detachment (1919) de Havilland DH.9
• No. 208 Squadron RAF detachment (1941) Hawker Audax
• No. 213 Squadron RAF (1941) Hawker Hurricane I
• No. 260 Squadron RAF (1941) Hawker Hurricane I
• No. 261 Squadron RAF (1942) Hawker Hurricane I
• No. 450 Squadron RAAF (1941) Hawker Hurricane I
• No. 651 Squadron RAF (1948) Auster AOP6

After the State of Israel Establishment

The airport reopened for passenger traffic in 1948 with flights operated by Cyprus Airways. This was followed ten years later by Arkia Israel Airlines flights. It was not until 1994, however, that the airport received international status, and at this time, it was planned that the airport would serve flights to destinations across Europe.^[8] Less than a year later, the airport was placed for sale. At this time, great interest in the site was shown by the French construction group, Bouygues, as well as British Aerospace.^[9]

In 1998, a new terminal was opened.

In 2001, talks over the airport expanding restarted when then Finance Minister, Silvan Shalom called for an 800 million NIS upgrade to turn the airport into one of an international standard.^[10]

Since December 2024 the newly established Israeli airline airHaifa, based at Haifa Airport, operates flights to several domestic and international destinations over the Eastern Mediterranean.^[11] Further flights to other East Mediterranean destinations are also expected soon.^[12]

On 19 August 2025 Haifa Airport’s first-ever 200 m² duty-free store was opened. The store opened in a ceremony with Sharon Kedmi, CEO of the Israel Airports Authority, and the co-CEOs of LAYAM — the Teddy Sagi Group company that will operate the store.^[13]

Future

The Israel Airports Authority intends to extend the runway to 1,634 m (5,361 ft) sometime in the 2020s.^[14] This will involve extending the runway northwards, across Julius Simon Road, which will then pass in a tunnel underneath the runway.

Airlines and destinations

As of December 2025, airport operates scheduled flights to Eilat (Israel), Bulgaria, Cyprus and Greece.

Airlines	Destinations
Air Haifa	Athens,[15] Eilat,[11] Larnaca,[11] Paphos,[16] Sofia (begins 7 January 2026)[17] Seasonal: Rhodes[18]

Ground transportation

Bus and Taxi

The airport is served by Egged bus line 100 connecting airport with Haifa Bay central bus station and HaMifratz Central railway station.^[19]

Rail

The closest train stations are HaMifratz Central railway station, Hutzot HaMifratz, and Kiryat Haim.

Bus line 100 (operated by Egged) connects airport with HaMifratz Central railway station.

Car

The airport is located close to Highway 4 (Haifa – Tel Aviv highway) and highway 22.

A fenced parking lot is available in front of the building, with about 100 parking spaces. Parking is free of charge. Vehicles may be parked on a temporary basis for a few days. Baggage carts are available in the parking lots, free of charge.^[20]

Statistics

Statistics for Haifa Airport

Year	Total passengers	Passenger change	Total operations	Operations change
1999	130,571
2000	137,858	005.6%
2001	120,301	012.7%
2002	127,200	005.7%	20,587
2003	093,385	026.6%	16,978	017.5%
2004	070,831	024.2%	16,225	004.4%
2005	061,334	013.4%	13,082	019.4%
2006	052,388	014.6%	12,614	003.6%
2007	065,551	025.1%	13,531	007.3%
2008	064,809	001.1%	13,367	001.2%
2009	050,677	021.8%	08,714	034.8%
2010	083,131	064.0%	13,602	056.1%
2011	074,244	010.7%	12,067	011.3%
2012	078,033	005.1%	12,037	000.2%
2013	081,804	004.8%	15,969	032.7%
2014	102,578	025.4%	21,271	033.2%
2015	110,805	008.0%	18,197	014.5%
2016	119,113	007.5%	17,086	006.1%
2017[21]	140,222	017.7%	19,168	012.2%
2018[22]	087,552	037.6%	16,624	013.3%
2019[23]	092,695	005.9%	17,729	006.6%
2020[24]	077,963	015.9%	21,177	019.4%
2021[25]	080,337	003.0%	25,435	020.1%
2022[26]	069,677	013.3%	24,062	005.4%
2023[27]	061,333	012.0%	19,563	018.7%
2024[2]	026,641	056.7%	11,102	043.3%

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations
• Transportation in Israel
• List of the busiest airports in the Middle East