US airlines should soon resume flights to Israel, says Senator Cruz
Following the news that multiple airlines including Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Australian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and EasyJet are expected to resume flights to Israel, Senator Ted Cruz has said U.S. airlines must follow suit.
Speaking to Bari Weiss at The Free Press, Cruz predicted that within 30 days the situation would be “fixed."
Airing his suspicions the slowness to resume flights had been politically driven rather than a matter of safety concerns, he told Weiss, “I think U.S. airlines need to resume flights to Israel. We have El Al that has flights. We have regional airlines in the Middle East and in Europe that are having flights go in and out. I think it is politics that is driving that decision rather than their stated concerns.”
He continued, “Look at the flight attendants union that has been very vocally anti-Israel and in fact has supported the antisemitic protests on college campuses,” adding that “a lot can be done” in his new role as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee which he says gives him jurisdiction over among other things, “over 40 percent of the U.S. economy, including aviation.”
“I think this will be fixed,” he told Weiss. “Going back to drawing a line in the sand, I’m going to predict within 30 days they’ll resume flights.”
The developments will provide welcome news among those in the hi-tech industry who depend on connections and travel to the U.S. The combination of a lack of flights and high fares even prompted the Israeli forum Hi-Tech Center to launch its own TechAir initiative.
Israeli airline Arkia has teamed up with TechAir to cater for the high demand for flights between the two countries. The first flight is scheduled for Feb. 8 with the goal to provide three flights a week (Sunday, Monday and Wednesday) to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz stated, “This is a historic and significant day for Arkia,” he continued, “Launching the direct Tel Aviv-New York route is an important milestone, which shows our commitment to the Israeli public and to finding aviation solutions even in challenging times.”
The increase in competition will come as a relief to the many who have been overpaying due to the effective monopoly held by Israeli carrier, El Al, who has been one of the only airlines operating in Israel for much of the war.
As airlines resume flights, and the inflated cost of travel to Israel decreases, the possibility of tourists returning to Israel with the great benefits they bring signals hope on the horizon.
Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments, studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University, but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject, the God of Israel. As a writer, Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem, Israel.
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