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million . Even when many airlines returned to Israel in January 2024 , El Al continued to benefit from its dominance of the Israeli aviation market , carrying almost 73 % of all passengers flying to Israel in January . Israir came in second , with 9.7 %, up from 3 % in January 2023 .
Surging insurance costs have posed a problem for every airline , but the Israeli government has allocated more than US $ 5 billion in insurance backing for Israeli carriers to cover any losses deriving from wartime risks . International carriers haven ’ t been so lucky ; their home countries haven ’ t subsidized their increased insurance costs .
Furthermore , Israeli carriers have the backing of the nation ’ s government , military , and intelligence to secure the operation of their flights . These airlines boast vigorous risk assessment mechanisms , crisis management programs , and emergency response plans in the event of armed conflict . International carriers cannot draw from such resources .
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AMENDED OPERATIONS
Immediately after the war broke out , El Al began adding extra flights and seats to bring back reserve soldiers who had to report for service and other Israelis who were stuck abroad . In mid-October , the airline flew its first flight on a Saturday — the Jewish Sabbath , a national day of rest — since 1982 , flying a few night flights to minimize waiting times for those needing to get back to Israel .
Since the October attack , the carrier has overhauled its route network , increasing frequencies to North America , Thailand , Paris , and London , while suspending flights to other destinations . During the first few weeks of the war , the airline added more than 150 flights to help people leave the country or to bring back security and rescue personnel , essential equipment , and medical teams .
Moreover , El Al — which ()— bolstered its cargo operation as some other cargo carriers pulled back service . Among other
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things , it converted a Boeing 777- 200 passenger aircraft to cargo .
El Al is not the only Israeli carrier to have altered its operations . Leisure carrier Arkia has begun shuttling workers to and from the country . In November , the airline began operating flights to Lilongwe , the capital of Malawi , with 190 locals bound for Israel to work in industries with labor shortages .
EL AL ’ S SUCCESS AND CONSUMER SHIFT
Despite the war , El Al ended 2023 with a profit thanks to its strong results before the war broke out in October , especially between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the third quarter of 2023 . Due to that success , the airline has kept to its plans to expand its fleets of Boeing 737s , the backbone of its short-haul fleet , and of Boeing 787s , the backbone of its longhaul operation .
The airline plans to grow its Boeing 737 fleet from 24 to between 28 and 31 between
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9 A view of El Al ’ s flightline , comprised of Boeing 787s and 777s . // EL AL |