US Airways to launch flights to Israel in mid-'09
JERUSALEM, Sept 2 (Reuters) - US Airways (LCC.N) will begin flying daily nonstop flights to Tel Aviv beginning next July in a move expected to boost U.S. visitors to Israel, the country's tourism ministry said on Tuesday.
The carrier, formed in 2005 from the merger of America West and the former US Airways, is expanding internationally while many U.S. airlines have been cutting capacity, mainly on domestic routes, as they grapple with high fuel costs.
"We expect US Airways' presence in the U.S.-Tel Aviv market to enhance economic growth and tourism opportunities for both the U.S. and Israel," Rami Levi, director of the Israel tourism ministry's U.S. Western region, said in a statement.
The ministry expects the new service to significantly add to an already record number of U.S. tourists visiting Israel, which amounted to about 500,000 in 2007.
Israel is on track for a record year of tourism at more than 2.5 million in 2008.
US Airways last month said it had applied for both U.S. and Israeli government approval to operate the flights, which will fly from its hub in Philadelphia to Israel's financial and cultural centre. It also began flights to London Heathrow in March.
Tel Aviv will become the 21st transatlantic destination served by US Airways from Philadelphia and the first to the Middle East. The 5,700 mile flight will be US Airways longest nonstop segment and will be made using long-range Airbus A330-200 aircraft that are slated for delivery in the spring of 2009.
US Airways would become the third U.S. carrier to fly nonstop flights to Israel.
Continental (CAL.N) flies two flights a day from Newark Liberty while Delta (DAL.N) operates daily flights from both JFK in New York and Atlanta.
American Airlines (AMR.N) this week began adding its codes to flights on Israeli flag carrier El Al (ELAL.TA). (Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)
