El Al announces fixed ticket costs for 4 locations amid price hike accusations
National carrier says flights to Larnaca, Athens, Vienna and Dubai to be at set prices through December as it’s accused of exploiting war to pad profits
El Al announced Wednesday that it reached an agreement with Economy Minister Nir Barkat to fix the prices of tickets to four destinations until the end of the year, as the national carrier faces accusations of price gouging while many foreign airlines cancel flights to Israel due to the security situation.
The four destinations, which will serve as hubs for flights to and from Israel, are Athens, Vienna, Dubai and Larnaca. The volume of flights to those airports will be increased, according to a statement from El Al, and travelers will have more options for connecting flights from there.
The fixed price for a roundtrip ticket will be $199 to Larnaca, $299 to Athens, and $349 to both Vienna and Dubai.
Those prices are for “lite” tickets in economy class. El Al estimated that around 80,000 such seats will be available until the end of 2024.
In exchange for setting the fixed ticket prices, El Al will not have a windfall tax imposed on its allegedly excess profits over the last year due to the war, the Walla news site reported, without citing a source.
Barkat’s office refused to comment on the report.
Air travel has been repeatedly shaken by the war in Gaza and spiking regional tensions. When the fighting began with Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, most foreign airlines halted their flights. Service gradually resumed in the following months but was disrupted again when Iran launched a direct major drone and missile attack on the country in April.
Some carriers then resumed service, but many have again shuttered their routes in recent weeks amid rising fears of yet another Iranian attack.
The cancellations came as Israel braces for responses from Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah to the killings last month of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Israel has insisted that its airspace is safe and that it will shutter it if and when the need arises. Israeli airlines have continued operations as usual.
On some routes, El Al has become the only option for Israeli travelers. Even when others exist, it is currently seen by many as the most stable, dependable option.
The airline has been criticized for taking advantage of the regional tension to hike prices, and last week reported that the second quarter of 2024 was the most profitable in the company’s history.
