In 1949, the first elements of the Israel Defense Forces arrive at Umm Rash-Rash on the shores of the Red Sea and raise the Israeli flag for the first time. Israel’s southern-most city, Eilat, is established, and “Eilata Airlines” is created in order to maintain direct air service between Eilat and the center of the country. Eilata Airlines, jointly owned by Israel’s Labor Federation and EL AL Israel Airlines, evolves into Aviron, and then Arkia Airlines. A converted transport aircraft, the Curtis Commando, operates two flights weekly and Arkia carries 13,485 passengers in its first year of service.

Arkia proudly operates its fleet of aircrafts around the clock. It currently operates a large number of domestic flights daily, to a wide range of destinations, including: Eilat, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Ben Gurion Airport, Rosh Pina and Kiryat Shmoneh. It’s possible to fly from Kiryat Shmoneh in the North to Eilat in the South in under two hours. Arkia also performs International Charter Flights, with daily flight operations to destinations in the Mediterranean Region as well as to Europe. The Company continues to expand its operations and to acquire new companies in order to position itself as an important and leading factor in the Aviation and Tourism Industries internationally.

For more information, please visit http://www.arkia.co.il