Israel’s Civil Aviation Administration has decided to change the route of El Al flights from Tel Aviv to Eilat due to security concerns surrounding the instability in Sinai. The decision, which El Al officials report was made without consulting with the airline, has led to an El Al announcement canceling the route. The airline promises to reimburse anyone who purchased a ticket in advance.
El Al CEO Eliezer Shkedy, a former Israel Air Force Chief, explains the decision to cancel the route is due to a lack of response from aviation authority officials regarding new takeoff procedures from Eilat during daytime hours and the change of the flight route.
Shkedy told Channel 2 News the decision in his eyes compromises the security of passengers, leading to the decision to cancel the route. He told the news he will not tolerate any compromise when it comes to passenger safety. El Al to date was running two flights daily.
Channel 2 spoke with an Arkia representative which stated the airline will continue flights as scheduled.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
If the Israeli CAA and Arkia feel it is a safe route, this sounds to me like a money issue. Soon we will no doubt hear that El Al wants the government to cover “the additional costs” caused by the CAA ruling.