The Israel Competition Authority notifies El Al that it found that the carrier exploited its monopolistic power by charging “excessive and unfair” pricing of fares for its flights during the first months of the war, and is set to be fined.
The Israel Competition Authority intends to impose the maximum sanction stipulated by law in the amount of NIS 121 million ($39 million), the regulator says in a statement.
A final decision on the financial sanction is subject to a hearing, with the airline expected to challenge the decision.
Any fine collected would go into state coffers.
Following an investigation, the regulator found that El Al had a monopoly on flights to and from Israel from the outbreak of war with Hamas on October 7, 2023, until the end of May 2024, and that it charged “excessive and unfair prices” for its flights during this period.
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