AVIATION
July 2022
Chagai Topolanski Takes Office As Israel’s Ceo Of The Airports Authority Topolanski, a reserve IDF commander, served in his last position in the army as head of the IDF (Personnel Division) and before that as deputy commander of the Air Force
Israel To Reward Airlines Flying To Ramon Airport near Eilat Procedure, which is intended to encourage airlines to arrive in Eilat, has in the past led to the opening of 17 new destinations to the city and to about 45 flights a week
Maj. Gen. Chagai Topolanski took office as the CEO of the Airports Authority. Topolanski was selected for the position by Minister Merav Michaeli after it was recommended for the position by a search committee, headed by the ministry’s director general, Michal Frank.
Every airline operating international direct flights to Ramon Airport, near Israel’s Red Sea resort city of Eilat will be awarded 60 euros (65 U.S. dollars) for each arriving passenger, the Ministry of Tourism said Monday. The reward will be offered for the flights between September 2022 and May 2023, except for two one-week Jewish holidays in October and April, the ministry said in a statement. “The procedure will bring back hundreds of thousands of tourists from abroad to Eilat in the winter”, the ministry added. In early January, Israel allowed the entry of COVID-19 vaccinated and recovered passengers, and then in early March, of all passengers including the unvaccinated. The flight procedure to Eilat has been successful over the years. The number of tourists landing in Eilat in the winter of
2019-2020 (until March 2020, with the halting of tourism following the COVID-19) reached a peak of about 150,000. The procedure, which is intended to encourage airlines to arrive in Eilat, has in the past led to the opening of 17 new destinations to the city and to about 45 flights a week. Prior to the implementation of the procedure, only about 4 flights a week landed in Eilat. Minister of Tourism Yoel Razvozov: “Returning tourism to Israel during the winter months, and especially to the southern and Eilat area, is an important goal of ours in the Ministry of Tourism. I see great importance in making Israel an attractive destination for tourists from all over the world. Ramon Airport will bring in a lot of money to the State of Israel and bring many places of livelihood for the residents of the south and the residents of Eilat”.
Topolanski, a reserve IDF commander, served in his last position in the army as head of the IDF (Personnel Division) and before that as chief of staff and deputy commander of the Air Force. For the past 3 years, Topolanski has served as Senior Vice President for UAVs and Strategic Issues at Elbit, and a reserve officer as an instructor at a combat flight school. Topolanski has a bachelor’s degree in economics and management from the University of Haifa and a master’s degree in military strategy from Air University in Alabama. He lives in Moshav Arugot, is married and has four children. Minister Merav Michaeli congratulated Topolanski on his election to the post and clarified that the Airports Authority is an asset that must be managed and led responsibly, professionally and creatively in the face of the many challenges and frequent changes in the industry.
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