Air travel - whether for tourism or business or visiting family - has become a major headache for Israelis ever since the war started. Many major companies have ended their routes entirely until months from now, while others constantly cancel and then restart flights whenever there is escalation.
A number of industry experts speaking to Globes today (Tuesday) said there are a few things Israel can try to ensure the flights keep running smoothly and continuously.
One approach would be to help deal with insurance costs, which have gone up substantially for airlines since the war started. Shirley Cohen-Orkabi, CEO of Eshet Tours, says that the money involved is "small change" for Israel, but would help the airlines a great deal.
Another step which might help is reducing the airport taxes which airlines must pay for each and every passenger. This is another relatively small amount of money which would help Israelis leave and return to the country without having to rely on the three local airline companies.
Nevertheless, Globes says that there is one obstacle which may hinder all such efforts - the recommendation of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency not to fly to Israel, which has been in force since Nasrallah's elimination. Until that is removed, even a huge reduction in cost may not be enough to keep the planes running.
