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During a meeting of the Knesset’s Economic Affairs Committee, the issue of the downgrading of the safety level of Israeli airports by the FAA was discussed.  Giora Rom head of Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority stated that restoring Israel to a category 1 rating was totally dependent on the American FAA and not on any Israeli authority.

Present at the meeting held in the Knesset were Giora Rom, head of Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority, representatives from the Ministry of Transport, Road Safety, Airports Authority, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Finance, the Foreign Ministry, El Al, Israir, Arkia, IATA and others.

According to the Chairman of the Committee Ofir Akonis, who also serves as Chairman of the Knesset’s tourism lobby, Israel’s airport safety rating must be restored to Category 1 before the end of 2009.  Akonis openly criticized the management of the Ministry of Transport under former minister Shaul Mofaz for failing to fully implement the recommendations of the Lapidot Committee and called on the government to support the activities required to restore Israel to a category 1 safety rating.

Akonis even reinforced his support for the head of the Civil Aviation Authority, who was present during the discussions and called on all elements involved to work under his guidance. “Aviation category is of the highest priority, since it touches tens of thousands of consumers every month and the Economic Affairs Committee will do all that is required to ensure that all targets are met in order to return Israel’s aviation safety status to category 1 as soon as possible.”