JORDAN MOSHE
Currently, El Al has three flights to Israel per week: on a Monday, Thursday and Saturday – and return flights on a Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Its new prices will start from R7 500 for a limited time.
“There are two questions that people always ask about Israel,” explained Israeli ambassador Lior Keinan at the El Al Achievers breakfast, held at the HOD in Johannesburg this week, where the changes were presented. “The first is always whether it is safe to go there. Once people have been there, the second question they ask is: ‘When can I go again?’ Most people look at Israel and think about politics. The truth is that you can go there and not feel or see the influence of politics at all. The tastes, colours and sights of Israel are what we want to share with people, and we want to give them the opportunity to do this as much as we can.”
El Al has been serving South Africa for the past 68 years, starting its flights to Johannesburg only two years into the state’s existence. In order to maintain its standards, the airline is committing itself to a gradual renewal of its fleet and schedules.
Having recently purchased 16 new state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to the tune of over $1 billion (R12 billion), the carrier is slowly phasing out older 747 and 767 planes, and introducing new technology for passengers’ comfort and entertainment.
Although only four of these Dreamliners are currently in service (and are being used on European and American routes only), and the 777s continue to be the standard, El Al intends to introduce seven more by 2019, and South Africa may be included in their trips.
Currently transporting 315 000 people between Europe and Israel, El Al estimates that it will see over 750 000 people make use of the airline in the coming years as it rolls out the changes.
The carrier currently services 37 destinations with non-stop flights, and several others with connecting seasonal flights through its daughter company, Sundor. It is looking to enter into new code share agreements, which will see El Al adding more destinations to its routes.
Glenda Lipschitz, a travel agent from XL Turbo Travel, acknowledged that El Al’s South African changes are rooted in other reasons, too. “There has certainly been an increase in demand for flights to and from Israel,” she said. “The South African base has increased, and more people are using the airline. While other carriers offer some lower fares, there are people who would rather not use them: parents aren’t going to want to send their young daughter on a flight via Ethiopia or Turkey alone.
“More people are flying over to investigate the potential of aliyah, which is becoming more attractive for many. People also own property there, and can effectively live in two places, spending time in one place at certain times of the year.
“Beyond that, matrics and young adults look to spend some time on a gap year programme, at a yeshiva or seminary, and the traffic they contribute overall is significant. The flights are often full, and El Al seems to be restructuring and recosting what it has to offer.”
Lipshitz also stressed the fact that the prices of airfares are not fixed, and that certain flights will be costlier than others. “The R7 500 fare is certainly rare and restricted. The airline will only offer lower prices on flights which are less popular and on dates out of peak season. The more popular flights are going to cost a considerable amount.”
Said Oranit Beit Halachmi, El Al’s managing director for North Europe and Africa: “We are always looking for new opportunities to increase travel to Israel. Israel has so much to offer visitors from anywhere in the world, and we want to make sure that they can all get there themselves.”
