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Representatives of the Ministries of Transport of Israel and Brazil signed a new aviation agreement allowing Israeli airlines the right to operate up to 10 regular flights a week between the two countries. The agreement also allows Israel and Brazil to operate up to 30 charter flights a year to each destination.

The Minister of Transport and Road Safety, Yisrael Katz announced that Israel and Brazil have signed a new aviation agreement allowing additional airlines, other than El Al, from operating regular flights between the two countries. At present El Al operates 3 weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Sao Paolo.  On the Brazilian side there has yet to be a request to operate regular flights to Israel.

Based on the memorandum of understanding, signed by the Avi Ben Hur, the deputy director of the Israel Civil Aviation Authority and his Brazilian counterpart, each side can operate up to 10 regular flights between Israel and Brazil.  Of that number 7 flights are to Sao Paolo or Rio de Janeiro in the south of Brazil; while the other 3 flights to locations in northern Brazil.  It was also agreed that from the summer of 2012 each country will be permitted an additional 7 weekly flights.

Eli Cohen, Vice President of Commercial & Industry Affairs for El Al, revealed last month that the flights to Brazil constituted the first step in meeting the growing demand from the two countries.  He said that in contrast to foreign airlines operating in Israel, the direct route to Sao Paolo was carrying 70 percent incoming foreign tourists and 30 percent outgoing tourists.  He added that there is great potential on this route and it is something that El Al has only now discovered.

In the coming week El Al will host a delegation of travel agents from Brazil and there will be a series of meetings with their Israeli counterparts with the aim of encouraging tourism between the two countries. The Ministry of Transport indicated that each year, thousands of pilgrims come to Israel from all over Brazil.