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The President of the Israel Hotels Association approached Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz and requested from him that El Al be allowed to operate according to their program: “Restricting the number of flights to Eilat is likely to completely neutralize leverage in developing tourism to the city.”

El Al, which awaits the decision of Minister of Transport regarding its program for operating flights to Eilat, has won the support from the Israel Hotels Association, which expects Katz to keep his promise to allow the airline to operate 10-12 daily flights to the city.

Eli Gonen, president of the Hotels Association, recently exposed unofficial reports from the Israel Civil Aviation Authority, recommending to Minister of Transport to allow El Al to operate up to a maximum of two daily flights to Eilat, in order not to harm the operations of Israir and Arkia.  Gonen sent a letter to Katz requesting that he open up Eilat’s airspace to many more flights.

 “Operating ongoing overseas flights is necessary for the development of the tourism industry in Eilat,” wrote Gonen to Katz. “To my amazement I read in the newspaper that the manager of the Civil Aviation Authority is recommending the approval of only two daily flights, in my opinion this is likely to completely neutralize the leverage in developing tourism to Eilat.

Gonen reminded Katz that the hoteliers had expressed their complete support in opening up the route to Eilat, with the clear intention that El Al would be able to operate ongoing flights, arriving from Europe. “There is great fear that the restriction in the number of flights will neutralize the correct decision and the significance in which it was received.

Therefore he called on El Al being allowed to operate according to their original plan in the field of domestic flights as it fitting with free competition on international routes.