The young Israeli airline Air Haifa is breaking ground in many ways. It is not just through its unconventional choice to operate flights out of Haifa's Mandate-era airport, with its overly short runway that all other airlines abandoned. It is also evident in the messaging it sends in almost every area. The company's name appears on the tail of its aircraft in both Hebrew and Arabic, and its crew members include both Jews and Arabs. One of the figures who best exemplifies this vision is Nasreen Hadid, Air Haifa’s first Druze flight attendant, even though other Israeli airlines have employed Druze flight attendants in the past and continue to do so today. "I may be the first, but I am certainly not the last," she is quick to emphasize.
When passengers are seated on an Air Haifa flight and hear Nasreen Hadid welcoming them over the public address system, quite a few are surprised for a moment. Some recognize her accent, while others discover only later that she is a member of the Druze community. For her, this exact moment symbolizes what Air Haifa is trying to build.
"When I address Arabic-speaking passengers in their language, they smile. They feel at home," she says. "It is as if the company is telling everyone, 'We see you, we hear you, we respect you.'"
"It was probably my destiny"
For Hadid, 49, from Daliat al-Carmel, being part of the effort to keep the skies open even during difficult times is a national mission. It is also the realization of an old dream. After 12 years at Cellcom, she worked for years in ground services for Turkish Airlines through the Laufer company. She began with a unique project in Haifa that allowed passengers to check in locally before arriving for their flight, and later worked at Ben-Gurion Airport.
However, the events of October 7 upended those plans. Foreign airlines, including Turkish Airlines, suspended operations in Israel, leaving Hadid out of work. "Right around then, recruitment for Air Haifa began," she recalls. "They reached out to me, and at the same time, I sent in my resume. Our paths simply crossed. It was a cosmic event. It was probably my destiny."
Nasreen likes that unlike veteran airlines, everything at Air Haifa is still growing. "I am from the first flight attendant training course," Hadid says. "Both I and the company are new. We are growing together, learning together, and succeeding together. The company's success is also my personal success."
"I don't think I've ever felt such pride"
She describes her job as a flight attendant as challenging and far beyond serving coffee or conducting safety checks. "Every day you meet new people, deal with different situations, and land in another destination. It is dynamic and challenging work, and no two days are alike."
One aspect that particularly moves her is the company's multicultural character. "We have Jewish and Arab passengers, so we have Jewish and Arab crew members. That is Israeli society. That is exactly Haifa."
According to Hadid, the company name appearing in Arabic alongside Hebrew on the tail of its fleet carries great significance: "It is a message of co-existence. When an Arab passenger sees their language on the plane and hears it over the PA system, they feel respected. To me, this is Haifa in the air."
One of her strongest memories stems from the war period. The crew received advance notice to prepare for the possibility that company aircraft would be relocated to Cyprus. "We received notice in advance to be ready with suitcases," she recalls. "When the moment arrived on a Saturday, it felt like an emergency call-up. Within an hour and a half, we all reported to the airport, each crew boarded its aircraft, and we moved the planes to Larnaca. Of course there was a bit of risk, but that is our job, and I am proud of it."
After about a week and a half, the airline began operating rescue flights to Israel. Three aircraft made three round trips a day along the route, creating an air bridge. "I don't think I've ever felt such pride. Seeing people board the plane after days of uncertainty and knowing that we were bringing them home was a true sense of mission."
"I didn't encounter opposition. On the contrary"
Nasreen Hadid grew up in a close-knit family in Daliat al-Carmel. She graduated from the Ronson high school in the town and is the second of six children, including four brothers who are all committed to service in the IDF: One in the career military and another preparing to enlist. Her late father, Abu Assi Rashrash ("Rashi") Hadid, began his journalistic career at The Jerusalem Post and was known to every Haifa resident as a veteran journalist who worked for decades at the local outlets Kolbo and Yedioth Haifa.
She says that in the past, a profession like flight attendant might have raised more questions in Druze society, but notes that reality has changed: "Today in our community as well, women choose their own path. I didn't encounter opposition. On the contrary, I received a lot of encouragement."
In the meantime, she is already dreaming about the next phase of the company's development: More aircraft, more destinations, and more crew members joining her. She also talks about the close bond among the company's staff, noting that their stay in Cyprus during the war brought them even closer together. Since then, they also meet in Israel outside work hours for social gatherings.
"I want to see Air Haifa grow. For us to reach more places and continue to show that it is possible to work together, from all sectors," Nasreen says.
When asked how she feels every time she puts on the company uniform, she does not hesitate: "I am proud to represent Air Haifa, and I am proud to represent my community. To me, those two things go together."