Icelandic low-cost carrier WOW Air will begin flights from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel's Ministry of Transport announced this morning after approving an Israel Iceland aviation agreement. Wow Air plans launching four weekly flights from Tel Aviv to the Icelandic capital Reykjavik starting June. Passengers will then have a choice of connection flights to nine locations in Canada and the US: Montreal and Toronto, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Passengers will be able to buy round trip connection tickets from Tel Aviv via Iceland to North America and back from $500 - well below the current lowest off-season cheapest fares of $550-600, for example via Swiss. WOW Air hopes not only to encourage tourism between Israel and Iceland with passengers able to stop off and enjoy the country's unique landscapes and the "northern lights" in the winter.
Founded in 2011, WOW Air serves 31 destinations across Europe and North America, and has grown rapidly through its ability to offer low-cost long-haul flights between Europe and North America. As with all low-cost flights, the ticket covers the basics including one piece of hand baggage. Extras such as suitcases, meals, selected seats, extra leg room and cancellation insurance can add as much as $200 to the cost of the fare.
Minister of Transportation Yisrael Katz said that Israel was chosen by WOW Air from a list of dozens of destinations and countries that had asked the Icelandic carrier to operate flights to their countries. He said, "The Open Skies agreement has brought Israel a range of new airlines that has not previously operated in Israel and now operate especially cheap flights."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 9, 2017
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