El Al is evaluating its network as part of a comprehensive effort to save costs as the war in Lebanon and growing competition take their toll on its traffic, writes Arie Egozi.
The Israeli flag carrier's president Haim Romano says the effort is aimed at reducing the airline's annual expenditure by 10%. "The evaluation is centred mainly on the network and the profitability of each destination," he says.
He adds that El Al has decided to sell its five Boeing 757-200s and replace them with 737-800s. "We will increase the use of leased aircraft to improve our flexibility," he says. While the current evaluation may result in some routes being dropped, it may also accelerate plans to add new ones. One option is to start flights to South Korea to turn it into a regional hub.
Source: Flight International
