Civil Aviation Authority: Israeli aircraft fleet has 53 planes

Israel's civil aircraft fleet consisted of 53 aircraft; 47 passenger planes, 5 freighters and one convertible
 
Israel Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) published a report last week noting that on 31 January 2008 Israel's civil aircraft fleet consisted of 53 aircraft; 47 passenger planes, 5 freighters and one convertible.
 
Out of the 53 planes 41 were jet aircraft produced by Boeing, 2 Airbuses and 10 turbo-prop (A.T.R &  Dash).
 
The ICAA noted ,however, that "The average age of Israeli airlines' fleets is far older than the average in Europe and the US, and as such they are damaging to the environment,"
The report reveals that the average age of aircraft in Israel is 15 years. The average age of passenger aircraft is 13 years and the average age of cargo aircraft 28 years. The average age of the fleets of airlines operating flights to Israel is just 11 years, with European airlines operating newer aircraft than their US counterparts.
 
El Al Israel Airlines currently has a fleet of 36 Boeing made aircraft with an average age of 14 years.
 
Arkia Airlines Ltd has eight aircraft, two Boeing 757 and 6 turbo-prop (4 – A.T.R 72 and 2 Dash 7) two of them company-owned, with an average age of 13 years.
 
Israir Airlines and Tourism Ltd. has a fleet of seven aircraft with an average age of no less than 18 years. (The company has two chartered Airbus 320)
 
The average aircraft age of the two 747-200 freighters owned by Cargo Airlines Ltd. is 28 years.
Israeli airlines have undertaken to spend over $2 billion on new aircraft in the coming years. Of this sum, El Al will spend $1.5 billion, Israir, $300 million, and Arkia, $400 million.
 
The ICCA report stresses also that older aircraft are noisier and consume more fuel. Higher fuel consumption not only causes airlines to lose money, but also damages the environment through the emission of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.