El Al Airlines announced on Tuesday that it is extending its freeze on almost all passenger flights until September 30.

The company is also extending the unpaid leave of the majority of its 6,080 employees.

The statement said that the extension was due to “continued restrictions regarding mandatory isolation for travelers entering Israel (apart from several countries) and the ban on foreign tourists from entering Israel.”

“There is still a significant way to go until the resumption of scheduled flights,” said El Al CEO Gonen Usishkin. “In order for flights to resume, countries must abolish quarantine requirements, shorten checking procedures and the public must regain confidence in flights.”

Israel began a partial reopening of its skies to a limited number of countries on Sunday.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)