Israel’s national airline, El Al, has made a commitment not to adjust ticket prices for four international destinations until the end of the year amidst security concerns that have resulted in several foreign airlines canceling flights to the country and causing chaos for air travelers.
El Al announced that passengers can travel to Athens, Vienna, Dubai, or Larnaca in Cyprus for prices ranging from $199 to $349. From these hubs, passengers can then connect to other airlines. This decision came after a meeting between El Al CEO Dina Ben Tal Ganancia and Israel’s economy minister, Nir Barkat.
In addition, El Al has committed to adding more flights to these four destinations, offering approximately 80,000 economy-class tickets under this initiative.
The announcement follows public criticism of El Al for raising prices at a time when many international carriers have halted flights to Israel, resulting in a limited number of available flights. El Al has equipped its planes with missile defense technology and has maintained uninterrupted service since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7.
“El Al is engaging in price-gouging and capitalizing on the lack of competition,” said Adi Livne, an Israeli traveler who was stranded in Spain for several weeks before eventually booking a flight home with the Israeli carrier Israir, as reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency last week. “It’s disappointing to exploit a crisis in such a way. This behavior is unexpected given the Israeli spirit of unity.”
This sentiment gained traction after El Al announced record profits of $147.7 million for the previous quarter last Thursday.