Arkia: An El Al executive recently threatened to hit Arkia "where it hurts".
Arkia Airlines Ltd. yesterday also petitioned the High Court of Justice against Minister of Transport Israel Katz, the Israel Civil Aviation Authority, and Antitrust Authority director general Ronit Kan to overturn Katz's decision to grant El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (TASE: ELAL) the right to make fly between Ben Gurion Airport and Eilat. Arkia's petition follows the petition filed by Israir Airlines and Tourism Ltd. the day before.
Arkia claims that Katz's decision is illegal and would have distorting results because El Al, as a monopoly, would be able to ultimately dominate the Eilat route as well, whereas Arkia is constrained from flying to 99% of El Al's destinations. Arkia says that an El Al executive recently threatened Arkia executives that if Arkia did not stop flying to Paris, El Al would hit Arkia's "soft belly", meaning the Eilat route.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 24, 2009
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