AVIATION
FINNAIR RESUMES AIRBUS A321 FLIGHTS TO EILAT
Finnair’s last flight to Eilat before the suspension was operated on March 10th, 2020
Nigerian carrier would be the first to offer direct flights, dramatically cutting travel time to the Middle Eastern country. While not confirmed, services could start as soon as the end of November. According to The Eagle Online, Air Peace is considering a new route from Lagos Airport to Tel Aviv-Yafo. The route will cater to the thousands of pilgrims who visit Israel every year for its historical religious sites. Currently, travelers must take lengthy one-stop connections through the Middle East, which can take at least 10 hours. While there is demand for direct flights to Israel, several factors go into deciding whether such a route is feasible. Air Peace’s fleet of Boeing 737s, 777s, and the new E195-E2 are all capable of making the six-hour journey from Africa to the Middle East, offering a decent amount of flexibility. One Air Peace Media Representative also hinted that flights could start as soon as the end of November, meaning the carrier is working hard to make this route a reality. However, this is yet to be confirmed, and tickets have not gone on sale just yet, meaning such a short lead time is questionable. Flights for religious pilgrims tend to perform exceptionally well due to relatively inelastic demand, especially around important seasons. Therefore, Air Peace’s new route to Tel Aviv could see a comfortable passenger load, especially during certain times of the year.
I nternational flights to Eilat only restarted flights to the Israeli resort city after a two-year absence. The last flight before the suspension was operated on March 10th, 2020, and the airline’s return with weekly flights from Helsinki makes it one of the first European carriers to return to Eilat. Considering Eilat basks in an average of about 360 days of sun annually, the Israeli holiday destination is ideal for Finnair’s winter sun schedule. Passengers flying with the flag carrier can enjoy a warmer, more coastal resumed earlier this year, and now, Finnish flag carrier Finnair has finally winter as flights to Eilat will be made available until the end of March. Ole Orvér, the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer, emphasized: “We are excited to return to Eilat and strengthen our position as the leading airline between Finland and Israel. We
know our customers will be excited by the return of this route, which is important to us as we rebuild our network and offer a great choice of destinations for winter sunseekers.” Flights will depart Helsinki Airport every Tuesday at 08:10 AM, arriving at Ramon Airport at 13:10. The return flight will then take-off from Ramon Airport at 14:05 before returning to Finnair’s central hub at 19:05. With the Airbus A321 configured for 209 passengers, the flag carrier will offer approximately 418 weekly seats on the short-haul route. Nigeria’s Air Peace Primed For Direct Israel Flights Flights could start at soon as next month Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema has revealed that the airline could be starting flights to Israel soon. The
10 • www.itn.co.il
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