Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz today approved a request by El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (TASE: ELAL) to operate direct scheduled flights from Tel Aviv to Hanoi and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in Vietnam, and to Grenoble in France. The Israel-Vietnam routes were made possible by the 2006 bilateral aviation agreement. El Al cannot currently make direct flights to either city, except by code-sharing with Vietnam Airlines.
Katz also approved a request by Arkia Airlines Ltd. to operate a route between Tel Aviv and Malmo, Sweden. The route is possible under an Israel-Swedish aviation agreement from 1977.
Katz said that approval of the new destinations was part of the aviation liberalization process that the ministry is promoting, which has increased incoming and outgoing flights and the number of passengers.
In a separate development, Katz and Indian Minister of Tourism Subodh Kant Sahai, who is visiting Israel, agreed to promote a bilateral aviation agreement within three years to allow charter flights between the two countries. The agreement would replace the 1994 agreement, which stipulates that only El Al is allowed to fly between Israel and India. The agreement, if signed, will double India-Israel scheduled flights to six a week in addition to charter flights.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 25, 2012
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