Three Israeli airlines ended their two-day strike following a deal struck between the Finance Ministry and El Al.
The ministry agreed to fund 97.5 percent of the airline’s security costs, up from 70 percent, to keep the domestic carrier competitive under the new “open skies” agreement with the European Union. The airlines also agreed to undergo a streamlining process to further cut costs.
El Al, as well as Israir and Arkia, launched an open-ended strike April 21 hours before Israel’s Cabinet approved the European-Mediterranean Sea aviation agreement. The agreement, which allows European airlines to increase their flights to Israel for five years, could substantially decrease the costs of airline tickets for Israeli travelers to Europe. — jta