Statement by SAJBD and SAZF on the discontinuation of ELAL flights to SA
ELAL Airlines has announced that they will be discontinuing their weekly flights between South Africa and Israel. During our meeting with El Al last year, it became apparent that operating a once-a-week flight was economically challenging for them. Unfortunately, even increasing the frequency to three times a week did not attract the expected passenger numbers. As a private company, El Al's operations are driven by commercial viability.
The potential loss of El Al’s direct flights is devastating for our community. However, we also acknowledge that the current travel landscape offers multiple alternative options for travel between Israel and South Africa, a significant change from the situation 15 years ago when these flights were last at risk.
Our ongoing dialogue with El Al and the Israeli government is open and constructive. We are proactively exploring various strategies and proposals around the economic feasibility of this route, and potentially finding a solution that could see the reinstatement of El Al's direct flights in the future. Our community deeply values its connection with Israel, and we are dedicated to maintaining and strengthening this bond through all available means.