The CEO of Israeli flag carrier El Al, Gonen Usishkin, said the company would continue flying to the United States, Europe and Africa due to a feeling of “national responsibility.” Flights will be operated according to the level of customer demand, Usishkin said, responding to the government’s decision to require 14 days of self-quarantine for all citizens and foreign nationals entering Israel with immediate effect. “El Al sees a supreme value in maintaining the air routes to and from Israel during the time of emergency, and will therefore continue to operate flights to America, Europe and Africa, according to demand and need,” said Usishkin. Despite his statement, the airline said it had no choice but to postpone the opening of new routes to Chicago until June 28, to Dusseldorf until July 3 and to Tokyo until August 29. Customers scheduled to travel during March are able to delay or freeze their flight tickets until the end of February 2021, without additional charges. Responding to the government’s blanket quarantine decision, Israeli airlines Arkia and Israir said they were halting all international operations. Arkia has stopped international flights with immediate effect, putting approximately 150 members of staff on unpaid leave. Israir will work to bring back all customers currently abroad by the weekend, before stopping flights until the end of March. Both airlines will continue their domestic operations, shuttling customers between Ben-Gurion Airport and Eilat’s Ramon Airport.
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