Israel, EU sign Open Skies agreement in Luxembourg

Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz and Irish Minister of Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar, on behalf of the EU, signed the Open Skies agreement with the EU in Luxembourg yesterday. Under the agreement, any European airline can fly to Israel, and every Israeli carrier can go anywhere in the EU.

"From today, we have become part of Europe, as far as flying to and from Israel is concerned," said Katz. "This agreement will immediately greatly increase the number of destinations and will result in much lower fares. I am a strong believer in deep ties with the EU and in its potential."

The Open Skies agreement will come into effect in April 2014, and will be implemented in stages over five years. It will supersede bilateral agreements between Israel and EU member states.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 11, 2013