British Airways will increase the number of its weekly flights to Israel from 18 to 21. Company chairman Lord Colin Marshall, who is visiting Israel, made the announcement today. At the same time, Marshall noted that the number of flights will be increased only when the crisis in passenger traffic to Israel, caused by the fighting in the territories, comes to an end. British Airways flight occupancy has plunged to an average of about 65% since the beginning of the crisis. Marshall met today with Minister of Transport and Tourism Amnon Lipkin-Shahak and discussed with him the fall in tourist traffic to and from Israel, among other things.
Increasing the number of weekly flights will enable British Airways to preserve its status as the largest foreign airline in the Israeli market (German carrier Lufthansa is in second place, just behind British Airways).
”Despite the fall in occupancy, the line to Israel is in the black,” says British Airways Eastern Europe and Middle East regional manager Nira Dror. “The company regards its flights to Israel as strategic, and is one of the few foreign airlines that has not cancelled flights because of the situation. The compensation for the fall in traffic by foreign businessmen to Israel is increased traffic of Israeli businessmen going overseas to meet their colleagues.”
Marshall claimed that British Airways participation in El Al’s privatization was not discussed at his meeting with Lipkin-Shahak. “We hold talks with many governments and international airlines, but we will never disclose details about them,” Marshall said.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on December 14, 2000