Israir (6H, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion) is set to suspend its Haifa summer charter programme citing insufficient security personnel needed to man the flights.

According to Israeli financial daily Globes, the shortage has persisted for some time and has now been aggravated following a budget dispute between El Al Israel Airlines (LY, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion), whose security department provides coverage to all Israeli carriers, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which provides funding for security at foreign airports.

"Last year, we developed international traffic from Haifa with the Ministry of Transport's encouragement," ISSTA VP marketing Ronen Carasso told the paper. "Many resources were invested in order to make things easier for residents of the north and the outlying areas. The routes from Haifa were a big success, and tens of thousands of passengers from northern Israel saved money and time through these flights. I am convinced that the skies from Haifa cannot be closed, and that prompt action by the Ministry of Transport will save the airport, to the benefit of residents of northern Israel."

El Al has since said that it had warned all affected carriers ahead of time that the ongoing personnel shortage would have ramifications for their respective flights operations this summer.

"In this context, not a single flight from overseas to Israel in the summer of 2018 has been approved or refused - not to Haifa, and not to any other airport. We emphasize that El Al security is not responsible for security activity at airports in Israel; it is only responsible for security for flights by Israeli airlines from overseas to Israel."