Investors sign deal for $45 million infusion into Arkia — Jerusalem Post
In Israel, a group of private investors has signed an agreement to gain control of airline Arkia. The deal provides for an infusion of about $45 million into the company, while the carrier’s employees have until Monday afternoon to submit an alternative proposal on similar terms, The Jerusalem Post reports.
Terms of the deal
The group of buyers includes Yariv Lerner, Kidan Dahari, Yaron Adiv and Einav Adiv-Berari. They are to contribute about $30 million and gain control of Arkia. The remaining funds will come from brothers Rafi, Joe and Avi Nakash, as well as from the state. The Nakash brothers will retain about 3% of the company’s shares.
Employees owned about 22% of Arkia through their own corporation. The announcement of the deal does not specify what stake they will retain. Employee representatives are already meeting with several potential investors to determine whether they can offer terms comparable to the agreement, as well as to coordinate plans for the company and its staff.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Employee protests and financial losses
Before the agreement was signed, Yariv Lerner had considered buying Arkia together with the employees, the Varor family and Avi Elkayam. He later joined Dahari and Adiv’s group, leaving staff representatives negotiating with a former ally.
Last week, dozens of employees protested outside Arkia’s offices against the possible dilution of their stake. The Transport Workers’ Union of Israel’s Histadrut trade union federation also declared a labor dispute. According to the union, the owners were advancing staff cuts without agreements with employee representatives, while management was also insisting on canceling routes.
Arkia is estimated to have lost about $30 million in the first three quarters of the year, while its annual loss could amount to between $50 million and $60 million. At the same time, the company had previously stressed that the published estimates were not its official figures. Since the beginning of 2026, Arkia’s share of passengers at Ben Gurion Airport has been nearly 11%, compared with 12% for its competitor Israir.
