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Haim Romano, the outgoing CEO of El AL and his replacement Eliezer Shkedi on a visit to New York, remarked during a press conference that El Al was planning to sign code share agreements with other US airlines, in addition to that with American Airlines.

Romano and Shkedi in New York, as part of the handover process are visiting the different El Al offices worldwide, said to reporters at a press conference that at the current time negotiations were underway with two or three American airlines with the aim of signing code share agreements, in addition to the existing one with American Airlines.

According to Romano and Shkedi the new agreements should help to leverage El Al’s global profile. "We're working on developing another two or three special agreements and new relationships with domestic American carriers," Romano told reporters.

Romano reminded those present that the decision of the FAA to downgrade Israel’s aviation safety level from category 1 had damaged El Al’s expansion and he revealed to the journalists in New York that 40 percent of the company’s expenses were dedicated to security. “I hope that Israel’s aviation safety level will return to its appropriate place by the middle of 2010,” said Romano

According to the report, El Al is expected to announce an additional flight, its fourth weekly to Sao Paolo in Brazil.