Almost all foreign airlines have cancelled their flights to and from Israel since the start of the war, but one of the few airlines still flying to Israel is Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways. The Emirati airline is considered one of the best airlines in the world and now, CEO Antonaldo Neves explains what is behind the decision in an interview with CNBC.
"It's having an impact, our demand for flights to and from Israel still exists, but they've declined, it's not like it was in the past. We continue to fly to Israel, safely, I follow developments every day and we hope that all this will end very soon," said the Etihad CEO.
Direct flights to Abu Dhabi, photo: Predrag Vuckovic
"I am sure that when the war ends and the situation returns to normal, everyone will remember that Etihad continued to fly to Israel and was not only driven by profits. We have an obligation as an airline to be there both when you're making money and when you're making a little less money. As long as it is safe, we will continue to fly to Israel," concludes the CEO of the Emirati airline.
It is important to emphasize that the Dubai-based airline, Fly Dubai, has continued to fly to Israel since the beginning of the war, and together, Etihad and Fly Dubai are two airlines from the UAE that continue to fly to Israel even during the war. Currently, there are a total of about 10 airlines operating at Ben Gurion Airport, of which 3 are Israeli, two Emirati, two Russian, Chinese, Uzbek and Romanian.
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