Israel's El Al Cancels Three Routes Due to Low Demand

DALLAS - Israeli flag carrier El Al (LY) will eliminate three routes that connect its home base in Tel Aviv with destinations in Europe and North America.

The airline announced on June 24, 2022, that it would stop operating on routes between Tel Aviv (TLV), Warsaw (WAW), Brussels (BRU), and Toronto (YYZ) starting in late October.

The carrier claimed the cancellations were an effort to react to the post-COVID travel demand, which is still low on all three routes.

In an interview with Israeli news outlet,Ynetnews, the carrier said it anticipated that changes to its flight network would enable the carrier to open up new destinations where passenger demand was greater, despite the fact that the airline has issued a warning that it may soon announce additional route cancellations or changes to flying frequency.

Staffing Shortages, Labor Dispute

The adjustments are in response to flight crew shortages that forced the cancellation of numerous scheduled passenger flights that were set to depart earlier in June 2022. The airline explained at the time that a labor dispute involving the company's management and pilots had caused a disruption in normal operations.

Last week, a Tel Aviv court declined to get involved in an ongoing labor dispute between the Israeli flag carrier and its pilots. The dispute is the result of conflicts about the working conditions for pilots, which have caused almost daily cancellations. The pilots demand that, in accordance with a prior agreement in 2017, their wages be restored to the pre-COVID levels.

As reported by aerotime.aero and Israeli media, the LY's flight crew reportedly continues to work despite a greatly higher workload. This has caused staff shortages and some pilots to take sick leave.

Featured image: 4X-EDE El Al Boeing 787-9. Photo: Tony Bordelais/Airways