Israir CEO confirms preliminary evaluation to acquire rival Arkia

Israir CEO Uri Sirkis confirmed in a letter to employees that the company is conducting a preliminary evaluation to acquire rival Arkia, outlining a vision for a unified Israeli aviation group. He emphasized the talks are at an early stage with no certainty of a deal.

Israir CEO Uri Sirkis confirmed this morning (Thursday) in a letter to the company's employees that a preliminary examination is underway for the acquisition of rival airline Arkia. This follows reports in recent days about an approach received on the matter. Sirkis clarified that the talks are at an initial stage and there is no certainty that the deal will materialize. He outlined a vision for establishing a unified Israeli aviation group, which would include five wide-body aircraft and 15 narrow-body aircraft, and would compete in price and service against large global companies. Sirkis praised Arkia as a "worthy and respectable competitor," but emphasized that Israir enters the negotiations from a position of strength following investments in infrastructure and technology. The CEO asked employees to maintain their regular work routine.