El Al Israel Airlines has announced it has requested $100 million in state aid from the Israeli government due to the government’s strict COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The flag carrier has suffered due to its large loss of traffic and has reported a financial loss in the past three years.
More from Reuters:
Top Copyright Photo: El Al Israel Airlines Boeing 737-958 ER WL 4X-EHI (msn 41559) MUC (Gunter Mayer). Image: 955218.
El Al aircraft slide show:
El Al and Israir yesterday (July 25) launched flights to Marrakesh, Morocco from Tel Aviv after the two countries normalized their relationship.
More from The Times of Israel:
Israeli airlines launch direct route to Moroccoโs Marrakesh | The Times of Israel
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, and El Al Israel Airlines, the national carrier of Israel, on July 1 launched their joint codeshare network and reciprocal loyalty agreement for frequent flyers. This builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the airlines signed in 2020 following the Abraham Accords signed by the UAE and Israel.
Effective July 18, 2021, El Al will add its โLYโ code to Etihadโs existing twice weekly service between Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv. Beyond Etihadโs Abu Dhabi hub, this new partnership will extend further and is planned to include destinations in Australia, Bahrain, India, Korea, Philippines and Seychelles from August 1, 2021.
In the next phase of extending the codeshare agreement, subject to obtaining applicable governmental and regulatory approvals, Etihad will offer guests an additional 14 destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and US by adding its โEYโ code to El Al flights.
EL AL adds flights in order to allow more passengers to return home:
Additional flights departing from Israel May 20-May 22, 2021
โข Flight 317 from Tel Aviv to London Heathrow on May 20, 2021 – Scheduled departure time is 01:00 PM
โข Flight 327 from Tel Aviv to Paris on May 20, 2021 – Scheduled departure time is 01:30 PM
โข Flight 003 from Tel Aviv to New York on May 21, 2021 – Scheduled departure time is 12:05 AM
โข Flight 025 from Tel Aviv to Newark on May 22, 2021 – Scheduled departure time is 11:05 PM
Additional flights departing from Israel May 23, 2021
โข Flights 003 from Tel Aviv to New York – Scheduled departure time is 11:55 PM
โข Flights 317 from Tel Aviv to London Heathrowย – Scheduled departure time is 11:55 PM
โข Flights 327 from Tel Aviv to Paris – Scheduled departure time is 11:55 PM
โข Flights 357 from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt – Scheduled departure time is 11:55 PM
Additional flights departing from Israel May 24, 2021
โข Flight 327 from Tel Aviv to Paris – Scheduled departure time is 07:30 PM
โข Flight 337 from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam – Scheduled departure time is 06:10 AM
Additional inboundย flights to Israel May 20-22, 2021
โข Flight 318 from London Heathrow to Tel Avivย on May 20, 2021 – Scheduled departure time is 06:00 PM
โข Flight 328 from Paris toย Tel Aviv on May 20, 2021 – Scheduled departure time is 06:55 PM
โข Flight 012 from New York toย Tel Aviv on May 22, 2021 – Scheduled departure time is 09:50 PM
Additional inbound flights to Israel May 23, 2021
โข Flight 024 from Newark to Tel Aviv – Scheduled departure time is 03:00 PM
โข Flight 318 from London Heathrowย to Tel Aviv – Scheduled departure time is 10:00 PM
โข Flight 328 from Paris to Tel Aviv – Scheduled departure time is 06:55 PM
โข Flight 358 from Frankfurtย to Tel Aviv – Scheduled departure time is 10:50ย AM
Additional inbound flights to Israel May 24, 2021
โข Flight 002 from New York to Tel Aviv – Scheduled departure time is 07:00 PM
โข Flight 328 from Paris to Tel Aviv – Scheduled departure time is 6:55 PM
โข Flight 338 from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv – Scheduled departure time is 11:25 AM
130 missiles were fired on the Tel Aviv area by Hamas after a tower block was destroyed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
El Al Israel Airlines issued this statement:
EL AL Israel Airlines is in constant contact with the security forces and the Airports Authority and operates in accordance with the guidelines as directed. The flights will continue to operate as scheduled and it is recommended to verify the website or be in contact with the Customer Service Center for any changes.
In view of the security situation, we will allow our customers holding tickets for departures in the coming days and are interested in changing their flight date, to do so without any change fees or to freeze a ticket for a future date or alternative destination without handling fees.
Top Copyright Photo: El Al Israel Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 4X-EDI (msn 38800) AMS (Ton Jochems). Image: 951965.
El Al aircraft slide show:
The Israeli Cabinet, on January 24, 2021 , approved the proposal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Transportation Minister Miri Regev to halt flights to and from Israel:
1. A ban on incoming planes to Israel except for cargo flights, firefighting flights and flights for emergency medical evacuation
2. A temporary restriction on permits for operating Israeli airlines
3. A reduction in exceptions for departure by air to outside Israel so as to include the following cases only: Medical treatment, judicial proceedings to which the person is a party or must participate in, or the funeral of a close relative.
The Health Ministry Director General and the Transportation Ministry Director General are entitled to approve exceptional requests for departure abroad on humanitarian grounds or special personal need. The ban on departing by flight also applies to flights on private Israeli planes.
The regulations will take effect at 24:00 on Monday, January 25, 2021) in order to allow travelers, airlines and airports to prepare. The ban on the entry of foreign planes to Israel will not apply to flights that take off before the regulations take effect. The regulations will be in effect until January 31, 2021.
This measure affectively grounds most El Al Israel Airlines passenger flights.
Names of El Al aircraft:
Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and El Al Airlines, Israel’s national airline, are set to embark on a historic collaboration following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during an official visit from the Kingdom of Bahrain to the State of Israel. The MOU was signed at the Hilton Tel Aviv by the Chairman of Gulf Airโs Board of Directors H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani and the Chairman of EL AL Airlinesโ Board of Directors Mr. David Brodet. H.E. Mr. Alzayani also announced at the ceremony the launch of Gulf Airโs direct flights go Tel Aviv starting from, January 7, 2021 – subject to government approvals – with 2 weekly flights. The MOU signing and the announcement of the airlineโs newest destination launch follows the recent announcement of peace between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel and the political, commercial and civil aviation agreements signed recently between the two countries.
The comprehensive MOU sets the foundation to discuss potential joint codeshare operations between Manama and Tel Aviv, as well as on the global flight networks beyond the two carriersโ hubs and contains plans for greater commercial cooperation in the fields of loyalty, cargo, engineering, travel technology and any area that can benefit both airlines and their customers.
Last month the airline operated the first-ever and historic flight between Bahrain and Israel that carried the Kingdomโs delegation headed by Bahrainโs Foreign Minister H.E. Abdul Latif Al Zayani which inaugurated the new flight code GF972 and the return flight of GF973, representing the international dialling codes of both countries.
Gulf Air aircraft photo gallery:
El Al Israel Airlines resumed nonstop flights from Tel Aviv to Miami International Airport on October 25, 2020 bringing direct service to Israel back to the Sunshine State for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic in March.
El Al will operate one weekly roundtrip flight with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft seating 271 until November 15, when the service is scheduled to increase to three times per week.
El Al Israel Airlines will restore the Tel Aviv – Belgrade route on November 1, 2020.
The airline will operate six flights per week with Boeing 737-900 ER aircraft per Airline Route.
El Al aircraft photo gallery:
El Al Israel Airlines is being rescued by the Israeli government. The flag carrier will be nationalized.
The state will guarantee a $250 million load and will purchase stocks worth $150 million according to the The Jerusalem Post.
El Al is now in the process of seeking agreements with its major unions.
El Al aircraft photo gallery:
El Al aircraft slide show:
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