Arkia Airlines has held a farewell event for Capt. Yossi Arueti, one of its most veteran and respected pilots, marking the end of a 44-year flying career, including 37 years with the company, Arkia said in a statement.
Arueti, 65, began his career in the Israel Air Force, where he mainly flew Hercules transport aircraft during his regular service and reserve duty. Over the years, he gained extensive experience on 17 different aircraft types, including light aircraft, the Dash-7, Boeing 737 and 757 jets, and Airbus A320/321 planes, according to the company.
'an inseparable part of the airline’s flight operations'
Arueti joined Arkia in 1989 and “has since been an inseparable part of the airline’s flight operations, accompanying generations of pilots and taking part in Arkia’s growth and development over decades,” the press release noted.
Arkia CEO Oz Berlovitch praised Arueti for his dual contribution as both a senior pilot and a marketing professional. “Today we said goodbye to Yossi Arueti, the captain, and not to Yossi Arueti the marketing and advertising man, who will continue to accompany Arkia in the field of advertising,” Berlovitch said. He added that Arueti was completing “a long and distinguished chapter as a pilot and captain at Arkia”. He described him as a multi-talented figure who left a significant mark “both in the air crews and outside the cockpit.”
Outside aviation, Arueti comes from the advertising world and previously owned an advertising agency. Today, he is involved in fundraising for start-ups and works as a mediator.
The farewell event, held in the presence of former air force chiefs and senior figures from the Israeli business community, concluded with a short performance by singer Yishai Lapidot.
Among those who came to pay tribute were Arkia CEO Oz Berlovitch, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amir Eshel, former Israel Air Force commander and former director-general of the Defense Ministry, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eliezer Shkedi, also a former air force commander, Castro-Hoodies Group chairman Gabi Rotter, First International Bank of Israel chairman Ron Levkovich, Epsilon chairman Shmuel Frenkel, United King co-owner Moshe Edery, former minister Haim Ramon, National Pilots Association chairman Meidan Bar, Orion CEO Chen Lamdan, businessman Bino Tzadik, businessman Modi Kidon, actor Dov “Dovaleh” Glickman, and others, Arkia said.