El-Al today expanded its penetration of the world's largest international aviation alliance, One World, by signing a code-sharing agreement with Poland's national airline.
The Alliance includes American-Airlines, the world's largest airline; British Airways, Europe's largest airline; Iberia of Spain; Sabena of Belgium; Finnair of Finland; and Qantas of Australia. El Al is also in advanced negotiations for signing a strategic agreement with Qantas for joint activity between Australia and Israel.
In the frame of the agreement with Lot, the airlines will carry out four code-sharing flights to Warsaw. In peak periods, mainly when youth delegations leave for Poland and mass visits are organised to the graves of rabbis in Poland, the number of flights will be increased to six per week. Mickey Gath, El Al's vice president for commerce, assessed that there will later be a daily flight between the countries.
The airlines agreed to act jointly for the mutual development of the line to Krakow, one of Poland's main tourism cities. At the initial stage, Lot will arrange code-sharing flights to Krakow and Warsaw.
Passenger traffic between Israel and Poland is currently estimated at 67,000 a year. The commercial officers of the two airlines assessed today that traffic on the line would increase by 25% within a two-year period.
Published by Israel's Business Arena August 26, 1999