El Al said on Wednesday that it intends to offer set prices for tickets to four destinations, after public outrage and ticket costs at a time when most international airlines suspended flight to and from Israel.
In a meeting in the Economy Ministry, El al said it would offer round-trip tickets to Cyprus's Larnaca Airport for $199, to Athens, Greece for $299 and $349 to Vienna, Austria and Dubai, UAE.
The airline said those destinations were transportation hubs and connecting flights at affordable prices, would be easily available from them.
The decision by the national carrier came after El Al raised the cost of tickets since the start of the war and particularly since early in August when most airlines suspended their flights to Ben Gurion Airport amid threats of attack from Iran.
El Al said it would reduce ticket prices, and continue assisting Israelis stranded by flight cancelations. "The company continues to support security forces and the families of hostages," El Al said. "We lowered our costs until the end of 2024 and will deploy a more flexible policy for cancellations."
The airline completed Q2 2024 with an excellent result; after operating almost alone on profitable routes to London and the United States. Ticket prices can reach up to $3,000 for a flight to New York for the tourist class and about $9,000 in business class.
The airline's net profit was $147 million 2.5 times the $59 million in the same quarter last year. Revenues amounted to $839 million, a growth of 33% compared to the corresponding quarter last year. A record occupancy of flights - 92% - continues, and even though the prices are at their peak, there are no tickets left for August to the U.S., except for last-minute cancellations.
Yaniv Lenis who operates an online ticket sales app said El Al was offering the deal for cities where it is already competing with Israeli and foreign airlines. "It should deal with its prices to Paris, Amsterdam, London and New York, where it is virtually the only option for travel."