Airline to stop flights to Galilee as of June 1st
Tamir Airways announced Thursday that it would stop flying to Rosh Pina and Kiryat Shmona.
By Zohar BlumenkrantzTamir Airways, which operates flights to northern Israel, announced Thursday that it would stop flying to Rosh Pina and Kiryat Shmona as of June 1st due to "the transport minister's criminal negligence".
The company claims that the Transport Ministry and the Kiryat Shmona Municipality have not met the conditions stated in the tender.
"I came to the north with the genuine feeling that we could establish a regular air route like in every other developed county in the world. To my disappointment, I constantly ran into obstacles of corruption. With great sadness, I am forced to stop the regular flights to the north of the country as of June 1st and focus mainly on private and international flights," announced Company CEO Udi Tamir on Thursday.
The airline says that it told the Transport Ministry that it would stop flying to the Galilee well before the Second Lebanon War broke out, since the authorities did not follow through on the conditions stated in the tender.
However following the war, the company decided to continue the flights because they saw it as a "mission of national importance".
It is believed that the airway crisis is due to legal struggles between Tamir Airways and the operator of Kiryat Shmona Airport , Victor Hajaj.
A High Court of Justice hearing on the matter is expected to take place next month.
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This announcement stopping flights I am sure is an early move in the game of negotiations between the parties concerned. My concern is the Galilee. NO RAIL- NO DIRECT ROAD TO TEL-AVIV -FLIGHTS ? sometimes yes sometimes no/ Regarded as pereiphery -wages are lower -prices are higher -NO DIRECT GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATION - My thoughts over the years with a sense of humour has been to ceseed and declare the Galil the sovereign country of Jewish Naphtali. In any case we were left to our own devices for 32 days of rocket attacks -true we did have ELI YISHAI consulting with his RABBI and abstaining from responsibility - We are here living in the Galil and we have enemies all around us -at least a flight a day might help our umbilical cord ? DO YOU AGREE? BLESS ALL THE POLITICIANS AND PASS THE AMMUNITION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Typical beauracracy which prevents the free flow of goods and services to citizens and customers.
It's ridiculous that such a small country like Israel has internal passenger flights. Aircraft spread pollution and damage our environment. I don't care about the reasons for the flights being stopped, this part of the world will always be riddled with corruption. What Israel needs is a comprehensive train service, and a ban on 4X4's and a ban on cars who are not at least 45% full on every journey. Neighbours should take turns in carrying each other to work.
"To my disappointment, I constantly ran into obstacles of corruption" really in Israel ? what do you say