El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (TASE: ELAL) has announced another codesharing agreement, this time with Hong Kong Airlines (subject to government approval). Hong Kong Airlines does not fly to Israel. As far as El Al passengers are concerned, the agreement relates to connecting flights from Hong Kong to, for example, Auckland, Tokyo, Osaka, and Seoul.
The two airlines will add their flight numbers to flights covered by the agreement, and passengers who are members of the frequent flyer club of either one of them will be able accumulate air miles on these flights. El Al also hopes that the agreement will bring tourists and businesspeople to Israel on the flights it operates from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv six times a week, on Boeing Dreamliner aircraft. A year ago, Cathay Pacific started to compete with El Al on the Hong Kong-Tel Aviv route, and its success led it to raise the frequency of its flights on the route earlier than it had originally planned. Cathay Pacific will shortly introduce Airbus A350-1000 aircraft on this route. These aircraft are capable of using biofuel, reducing environmental pollution.
El Al's code sharing agreement with Hong Kong Airlines will also allow its business class passengers to use the business lounges at the airports served by connecting flights on Hong Kong Airlines.
The two airlines are similar in terms of the number of destinations each serves: Hong Kong Airlines flies to 40 destinations and El Al to 36. Hong Kong Airlines was founded just twelve years ago, and its fleet is new. El Al will shortly take delivery of further Dreamliner aircraft of the sixteen it ordered, and these will gradually replace the older aircraft in its fleet, particularly its Boeing 767 aircraft. So far, El Al has taken delivery of four Dreamliners.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 5, 2018
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2018