El Al airline has suspended its flights ‘until further notice’ in protest of an Open Skies policy that will allow more foreign airlines into Israel.
Workers at El Al, Arkia, and Israir airlines began an ‘open-ended’ strike yesterday, with the Histadrut labor union supporting them.
The unions were protesting against the Open Skies policy struck with the European Union that will allow more foreign carriers to fly into the Middle Eastern country, and more Israeli flights into the EU.
Despite the protests, Government ministers overwhelmingly approved the agreement, with 19 voting in favour and only three against.
The governments say the move will improve competition and lower travel costs to and within Israel, but the unions say it also will cost Israeli jobs.
The union said that "Israeli citizens will not support a deal that will sacrifice the incomes of thousands of families just to please foreign carriers."
A message on the El Al website said that all flights were cancelled ‘until further notice’.
Yesterday the airport opened for take-off at 4am so that around 28 flights operated by Israeli airlines could leave Israel before the strike which started at 5am.
EasyJet, which flies to Tel Aviv from London, Manchester and Geneva, told Reuters it welcomed the cabinet’s decision to approve the open skies agreement.
"easyJet … has announced several times its desire to expand its service to Israel from additional destinations in Europe once the open skies agreement was signed," it said.
