bmi halting flights to Israel as part of cost-cutting measures
British low-cost airline is scrapping its Tel-Aviv-London route starting January 10.
By Zohar Blumenkrantz Tags: Israel newsThe British low-cost airline bmi is scrapping its route between Tel Aviv and London from January 10 as part of sweeping cost-cutting measures. Its departure leaves the route to El Al, easyJet and British Airways.
It only introduced the route to Tel Aviv in March of last year.
The carrier is cutting at least 600 jobs and is reducing its fleet of jets, as well as scrapping loss-making routes to cope with falling demand in the growling economy, it said yesterday.
The company, owned by German carrier Lufthansa, warned that even more jobs could go.
Like many airlines around the world, bmi has been hit hard by diminishing demand, volatile fuel prices and intensifying competition.
"The airline industry is facing the challenges of a downturn in demand and the worst recession in the U.K. since records began," bmi said in a statement.
Though Lufthansa, which bought bmi in July, is behind the efficiency measures, an airline representative said it didn't order the Israel route to be cut. bmi was free to decide on its own which routes it should abolish, Lufthansa said.
bmi, which is the second-biggest carrier at London's Heathrow Airport and employs 4,500 people, will reduce the number of aircraft in its bmi Mainline unit by nine from the current 39.
Tel Aviv is in good company: bmi is also suspending flights from London Heathrow to Brussels, the Ukrainian capital Kiev and Aleppo in Syria.
Flights between London and Amsterdam will end in March, and seasonal flights from Heathrow to Palma in Majorca and Venice will not resume next summer.
The International Air Transport Association said earlier this month that it expects airlines to lose $11 billion on a net basis in 2009.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Another goyishe airline whose crews simply could not cope with the Haredi passengers. I flew twice with bmi and the poor girls didn't know what to do when the men demanded to be moved because they were seated next to a woman, although they were not so insistent when she was a pretty girl. Then there was the kosher food. They ordered it, looked at it and threw it on the floor because it wasn't kosher enough. That was all before they got up and blocked the aisles with their prayer sessions. Thompson had the same trouble and they also dropped out. EasyJet will as well.
i flew with them on their in flight entertainment system the map of destination there was no israel no tel aviv or jerusalem just ramala gaza egypt syria lebenon and jordon
TA in good company? Don't forget Brussels and Amsterdam have High-speed train connections with London which are faster and cheaper than planes.
They never had any intention of maintaining a service from London to TLV. Travel agents knew 9 months ago that the service was stopping almost immediately. The most valuable part of an airline is the slots that it owns for take off and landing. BMI bought some good slots at a good price and is now selling them on. To hold the slots, it has to run flights. ElAl is in negotiation to buy them as the BMI slots are better than the ones that ElAl currently hold (from an ElAl employee).
Talk about long term planning They introduce the new route to Tel Aviv in March, and then scrap it eight months later!!!
... vowed never again...