Israel's CAL Cargo Airlines has filed a request with Israel's Civil Aviation Authority to become a passenger airline, sources inform "Globes." This would make CAL, Israel's fourth passenger airline after El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (TASE: ELAL), Arkia Airlines Ltd. and Israir Airlines and Tourism Ltd..
CAL's entry into the market would come at a challenging time for Israel's airline industry, which controls 33% of the international flights market at Ben Gurion airport. Israel's three airlines are failing to capture the rapid growth in passenger traffic from Ben Gurion airport, which is mainly going to foreign low-cost carriers.
CAL was founded in 1976 by Israeli agricultural produce companies as a rival to El Al in the air cargo market. In 2010 the company was acquired by Yarom Oren and Offer Gilboa's Kanfei Hagai. The company flies to a range of destinations including Liege in Belgium where it owns LACHS - Liege Air Handling Cargo Services, which allows it to fly goods onto other destinations in Europe. CAL also operates cargo flights from Tel Aviv to Oslo, Larnaca, New York, Atlanta, and Mexico City.
CAL also has a subsidiary in Malta for leasing operations. The airline has three Boeing 747-400's which are used to fly agricultural produce, vehicles, animals, medical equipment and a range of other products.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 5, 2020
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