Despite increased competition from low cost airlines in 2013, El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (TASE: ELAL) easily maintained its lead as the top airline carrying passengers to and from Israel and increased the number of people flying on its planes. El Al flew 4 million passengers this year, up 4.3% from last year. 12.6 million passengers travelled to and from Israel on 90,000 international flights this year, up 8% from 2012.
In second place was Turkish Airlines with six daily flights from Ben Gurion Airport carried 562,000 passengers, up 56% from 2012. In third place was Arkia Airlines Ltd. with 492,000 passengers, unchanged, and in fourth place was Lufthansa with 340,000 passengers, down 16%. In fifth place was United with 322,000 passengers, up 0.2%, in sixth was Ukraine Air with 331,000 passengers, up 158%, in seventh was Air France with 309,000 passengers, up 26%, in eighth was Alitalia with 307,000 passengers, up 0.9%, in ninth was easyJet with 306,000 passengers, up 51%, and in tenth was Pegasus with 303,000 passengers, up 0.2%.
These were followed by: 11th Aegean Air, 260,000, up 14%; 12th British Airways 260,000, up 9%; 13th Swiss, 256,000, down 1.6%; 14th Aeroflot, 248,000 up 54%; 15th Israir Airlines and Tourism Ltd., 243,000, down 8.5%; 16th Delta, 237,000, up 1.34%; 17th Transaero, 232,000, up 3.45%; 18th Austrian Airlines, 218,000, down 3.34%; 19th Air Berlin, 163,000, up 2.1%, and 20th US Airlines, 151,000, up 1.5%.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 31, 2013
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