Israel's El Al counts on new Boeing 787s to lure back customers
El Al Israel Airlines took delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on Wednesday in a $1.25b investment aimed at renewing its long-range fleet, halting a drop in its market share and winning back business customers. In all, Israel's flag carrier will receive 16 787-8 and 787-9 planes -- both bought and leased -- by 2020. It expects one more 787 by year-end, a total of seven by the end of 2018 and 14 by the end of 2019. They will initially fly from Tel Aviv to Newark starting on Oct. 17 and then Hong Kong, London and New York's JFK airport. At a ceremony on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International Airport following the airplane's flight from Seattle, CEO David Maimon said the fleet renewal was new era for El Al, helping it better compete in a fiercely competitive market. El Al was once the go-to airline for most Israelis thanks to the kind of stringent security that equips planes with missile defense systems. But it has frustrated customers -- particularly business travelers -- over the past decade with an ageing fleet that compares poorly with competitors offering newer jets fitted with the latest in hi-tech entertainment and comfort. "I am sure (because of) this aircraft, most of our passengers will be back, especially the business segment," Maimon said Wednesday.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2017-08-24/unaligned/israels-el-al-counts-on-new-boeing-787s-to-lure-back-customers
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/logo.png
Israel's El Al counts on new Boeing 787s to lure back customers
El Al Israel Airlines took delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on Wednesday in a $1.25b investment aimed at renewing its long-range fleet, halting a drop in its market share and winning back business customers. In all, Israel's flag carrier will receive 16 787-8 and 787-9 planes -- both bought and leased -- by 2020. It expects one more 787 by year-end, a total of seven by the end of 2018 and 14 by the end of 2019. They will initially fly from Tel Aviv to Newark starting on Oct. 17 and then Hong Kong, London and New York's JFK airport. At a ceremony on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International Airport following the airplane's flight from Seattle, CEO David Maimon said the fleet renewal was new era for El Al, helping it better compete in a fiercely competitive market. El Al was once the go-to airline for most Israelis thanks to the kind of stringent security that equips planes with missile defense systems. But it has frustrated customers -- particularly business travelers -- over the past decade with an ageing fleet that compares poorly with competitors offering newer jets fitted with the latest in hi-tech entertainment and comfort. "I am sure (because of) this aircraft, most of our passengers will be back, especially the business segment," Maimon said Wednesday.<br/>
