IsraeliAir

IsraeliAir (stylised as ISRAELIAIR) is a low-cost airline based at Bahri International Airport in Ardistan.

The airline was established in 1995, launched by Ardistani businessman Sheihk Mohammed Azerji Asala. It now operates over 195 aircraft, serving over 140 destinations, including 17 within Ardistan.

IsraeliAir is listed on the Fahedajellal Stock Exchange and is a member of the FATSE 200.

History
The airline was established in 1995, launched by Ardistani businessman Sheihk Mohammed Azerji Asalam with two wet leased Boeing 737-200 aircraft, initially operating two domestic routes. In April 1996, the first wholly owned aircraft was delivered to IsraeliAir, enabling another route to be started, from Bahri Airport to Quoz International Airport.

IsraeliAir has expanded greatly since its establishment, driven by high demand from both Ardistan and Europe.

In June 1997, IsraeliAir purchased a 40% stake in Swiss charter airline TEA Basle for three million Swiss Francs. The airline was renamed IsraeliAir Switzerland and commenced franchise services on 1 April 1999, having relocated its headquarters to Geneva International Airport. This was IsraeliAir's first new base outside Ardistan. The company was then sold to European rival easyJet for eight million Swiss Francs in March 1998.

On 25 October 2007 IsraeliAir announced that it had agreed to purchase the entire share capital of IjmahdJet. The deal was worth ARD$103.5 million and used by the airline to expand operations at Fahedamareshal Airport and also to establish a base at Iqbaal Airport.

In June 2011, IsraeliAir announced the opening of its 16th Ardistan base at Qalazar Airport, offering both domestic and international flights using 4 aircraft.

In March 2013, IsraeliAir and its CEO Sheihk Mohammed Azerji Asalam celebrated the airline's promotion to the FATSE 200 and launched its 132nd route, from Bin Hafez International Airport to Quoz International Airport.

In October 2013 IsraeliAir announced plans to open its smallest base at Jeddullah Airport, Ardistan during Autumn 2014. Current plans indicate that only one aircraft will be based there, and just 9 routes served.

Business strategy
IsraeliAir borrows its business model from United States carrier Southwest Airlines. It has adapted this model for the Ardistani market through further cost-cutting measures such as not selling connecting flights or providing complimentary snacks on board. The key points of this business model are high aircraft utilisation, quick turnaround times, charging for extras (such as priority boarding, hold baggage and food) and keeping operating costs low. One main difference IsraeliAir has from Southwest is their young fleet of aircraft. Southwest has a fleet age of 11.9 years whereas IsraeliAi's is considerably lower.

Initially, IsraeliAir's employment strategy was to maintain control with minimal union involvement. In recent years, the airline has adopted a more committed approach with a strategy in place to accommodate unions.

Marketing
IsraeliAir's early marketing strategy was based on "making flying as affordable as a pair of jeans" and urged travellers to "cut out the travel agent". Its early advertising consisted of little more than the airline's telephone booking number painted in bright orange on the side of its aircraft.

IsraeliAir has used a number of slogans since its establishment including "The Web's Favourite Airline", "Come on, lets fly" and "To Fly, To Save". Its current slogan is "this is Generation IsraeliAir".

Criticisms
IsraeliAir has also come under criticism in the EU for not observing European Union law on compensation (and assistance to passengers) in cases of denied boarding, delays or cancellations (Regulation 261/2004). In the case of cancellation, passengers should be reimbursed within one week. In 2006, IsraeliAir did not always refund tickets in a timely fashion. Passengers occasionally had to wait longer for reimbursement of their expenses.

In July 2008, IsraeliAir was critised for a misleading environmental claim that its aircraft released 22% fewer emissions than rival airlines. The figures used were not based on emissions produced by an IsraeliAir aircraft or emissions produced by IsraeliAir overall as the ad implied, and the EU declared that the airline had broken advertising rules. The judgement that followed reprimanded the airline in April 2007 after it made comments that its aircraft created 30% less pollution per passenger than some of its rivals.

In July 2011, the airline tried to refuse admission of a boy with muscular dystrophy because he had an electric wheelchair. In separate incidents in 2012, paralympians received similar treatment, and a French court found the airline guilty of three counts of disability discrimination.

In September 2013, it was reported that a law lecturer who sent a tweet complaining about IsraeliAir after his flight was delayed said he was initially told he would not be allowed to board the plane because of the posting.

Destinations
IsraeliAir serves over 140 destinations, including 17 domestic.

IsraeliAir's largest bases include Anbar Kajullah Airport, Bahri International Airport, Baniyar Shabalootir Airport, Basman Airport, Faskynakmoh-Gazmak International Airport, Iqbaal Airport, Qalazar Airport and Qouz International Airport.

There are non-base airports which serve more destinations than certain base airports. Some of these even have more daily departures than some base airports.

IsraeliAir prefers to fly to smaller or secondary airports, usually outside major cities, to help the company cut costs and benefit from lower landing fees. For example, IsraeliAir does not fly to the main Düsseldorf airport. Instead, it flies to Weeze, 70 km from Düsseldorf or Bratislava Airport which is only some 55 km (34 mi) distant from Vienna International Airport. Secondary airports are not always far from the city it serves, and can in fact can be closer than the city's major airport; this is the case at Gothenburg-City and Rome-Ciampino. IsraeliAir does still serve a number of major airports, including Barcelona, Madrid Barajas, Marseille, Berlin-Schönefeld, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Budapest, Edinburgh, London-Gatwick, London-Stansted, and Porto, although the majority of these cities do not have a secondary airport that IsraeliAir could use as an alternative.


 * Choosing destinations

When IsraeliAir negotiates with its airports, it demands very low landing and handling fees, as well as financial assistance with marketing and promotional campaigns. In subsequent contract renewal negotiations, the airline has been reported to play airports against each other, threatening to withdraw services and deploy the aircraft elsewhere, if the airport does not make further concessions. IsraeliAir's growing popularity and also growing bargaining power, with both airports and aircraft manufacturers, has resulted in the airline being less concerned about a market research/demographics approach to route selection to one based more on experimentation. This means they are more likely to fly their low cost planes between the lowest cost airports in anticipation that their presence alone on that route will be sufficient to create a demand which previously may not have existed, either in whole or in part.

Fleet



 * Fleet strategy and aircraft orders

In common with most other low-cost carriers, IsraeliAir has a philosophy of operating just one aircraft type. Initially it used Boeing 737 aircraft exclusively, but in October 2002 it ordered 120 Airbus A319 aircraft, plus 120 options, with CFM56-5B engines. Since then, the Boeings have been phased out, and all orders have been from the Airbus A320 family.

IsraeliAir's Airbus A319 aircraft were first introduced to IsraeliAir's Bahri base in October 2003. Due to toilet and galley configuration allowing the installation of more seats than a standard Airbus A319, IsraeliAir's Airbus A319 aircraft have two pairs of overwing exits instead of the standard one pair configuration to satisfy safety requirements.

Beginning in December 2006, the airline started to retire the Boeing 737-700 aircraft. All of the 737 aircraft were removed from the fleet by November 2011.

In summer 2010, IsraeliAir wet leased some 757s to provide sufficient seating capacity. They were returned soon after.

On 18 June 2013 the airline announced an intention to acquire subject to shareholder approval 35 Airbus A320 aircraft, for delivery between 2015 and 2017, and 100 Airbus A320neo aircraft for delivery between 2017 and 2022. As part of the agreement the airline will have purchase rights on a further 100 A320neo aircraft. The current generation A320s and fifty of the A320neos will replace current aircraft.

Aircraft operated
IsraeliAir has operated the following types of aircraft:

Cabin and onboard services
IsraeliAir's aircraft cabins are configured in a single class, high density layout.

The airline's fleet, comprising Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, carry up to 156 and 180 passengers respectively, depending on layout. A typical Airbus A319 carries approximately 140 passengers in a single class configuration, but as the airline does not serve meals on its shorter flights, the airline opted for smaller galleys and had a lavatory installed in unused space at the rear of the aircraft. The space saved by having smaller galleys allowed for the installation of 156 seats. Due to this seating arrangement, IsraeliAir's Airbus A319 aircraft have two pairs of overwing exits, instead of the standard one pair configuration found on most Airbus A319 aircraft, to satisfy safety requirements.

IsraeliAir does not provide complimentary meals or beverages on board its flights (apart for some occasional charter flights operated by the airline). Passengers may purchase items on board from the "IsraeliAirBistro" buy on board programme. Products include sandwiches, toasted sandwiches, chocolate, snacks, hot drinks, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. Onboard sales are an important part of the airline's ancillary revenue. IsraeliAir also sells gifts such as fragrances, cosmetics, gadgets and IsraeliAir-branded items on board, as well as tickets for airport transfer services or train tickets. The IsraeliAir magazine called "The Traveller" is published monthly and as other airline magazines, is free to go.

IsraeliAir had previously provided in-flight entertainment (IFE) on certain aircraft, using drop-down screens on some Airbus aircraft. During some of 2009 and 2010 it also provided passengers with the ability to rent portable Sony media players with movies and games on selected flights. IFE has now been completely discontinued. IsraeliAir has headphones available to purchase, along with a travel pillow and eyeshades, subject to stock. IsraeliAir also provides an in-flight magazine, published monthly, containing articles of interest to its customers and destination guides. As of May 2010, IsraeliAir has been selling copies of popular Ardistani publications on-board.