Towards the reopening of Sinai to Israel and following the apparent warming of relations between Israel and Egypt - Israir has submitted a request to fly to Sharm • Egypt Air has also requested to fly to Israel frequently
Direct flights to Sharm?
Photo:
AFP
Israir announced this morning that it has submitted an official request to operate direct flights from Ben Gurion Airport to Sharm el-Sheikh in the Sinai Peninsula. Israir is the first airline that is expected to operate flights to the destination at this stage, but other companies may join if the request is approved.
At this stage, the company is expected to operate two daily flights to Sharm el-Sheikh and the flight duration will be about an hour and ten minutes.
Israir also intends to operate flights from Haifa to Sharm, in parallel with the expected flights from Ben Gurion Airport.
Israir's request comes in parallel with the request of the Egyptian airline Egypt Air to operate direct flights to Israel under the Egyptian company's brand and not under the brand of the subsidiary that has operated flights to Israel so far, Air Sinai.
Egypt Air also aims to increase the number of flights to Israel.
Gil Satyu, Israir's VP of Marketing and Sales, said: "Sharm el-Sheikh can become an international tourist destination that will attract Israeli audiences and address a vacation abroad, especially at a time when the map of international destinations is more limited."
Sharm el-Sheikh is considered an exceptional tourist destination with very luxurious hotels of the major chains in the world and among them Six Senses, the Rixos company has recently made a number of special flights to Egypt.