Israir Airlines and Tourism Ltd. announced that it is stopping the operation of flights on Shabbos, Globes reported.

The move comes four months after the acquisition of the airline by supermarket mogul Rami Levy and Shalom Chaim through BGI investments. Both men are Shomer Shabbos.

” I’m a religious Jew, shomer Shabbat, and all my businesses are closed on Shabbat,” Chaim told Globes. “We respect those who observe Shabbos, and this is not a personal whim of mine, it’s the DNA of Judaism.”

“On the business side, we’re at the examination stage. We’ll examine the economic implications of reducing activity on Shabbat. We want to reach a situation in which there’s a weekly day of rest for the pilots as well. There are many businesses that don’t operate on Shabbat and aviation can be included as well.

“The discussion about the Shabbat was mainly in the media, as a consequence of the world view of the shareholders, but we haven’t yet examined the subject in depth. We understand trade but we’re not as well-versed in aviation. We’ll know more on the subject within two to three months.”

El Al subsidiary Sun D’Or International Airlines halted flights on Shabbos in January following its acquisition by a frum Jew, Eli Rozenberg.

That leaves Arkia Airlines as the only Israeli airline operating flights on Shabbos.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)