• 

  Toronto Pearson International Airport

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  YYZ/CYYZ

  Country:

  Canada

  CEO:

  Deborah Flint

  Passenger Count :

  13,300,000 (2020)

  Runways :

  05/23 - 3 ,389m (11,119ft) | 06L/24R - 2,956m (9,698ft) | 06R/24L - 2,743m (8,999ft) | 15L/33R - 3,368m (11,050ft) | 15R/33L - 2,770m (9,088ft)

  Terminals:

  Terminal 1 | Terminal 3

Following a shift in demand post-pandemic, Israeli flag carrier El Al has announced it will be slashing flights from its Tel Aviv base to several destinations, including Toronto Pearson International Airport, in late October.

Three routes closed

As reported by Globes, a spokesperson for the airline confirmed the decision, noting the pandemic’s impact across its network. Two medium-haul destinations, Warsaw and Brussels, have also been axed for a total of three route closures.

“Since the exit from the Covid crisis there have been changes in expected demand for flights to and from Israel,” the airline told Globes. “This has forced us to make changes in schedules and destinations of flights, in order to provide our customers with the appropriate destinations, for new demand and destinations.”

However, coverage by The Canadian Jewish News and local media suggests that the airline’s pilots’ shortage and labor disputes may have also played a part in the closure, with the newspaper noting El Al had refused to give any on-the-record interviews or comments regarding the staff shortages.

The carrier has struggled to meet post-pandemic demand, with frequent flights seeing last-minute cancellations over the past few weeks. In May, the airline noted it was in negotiations with its Pilots’ union over employee shortages and lowered staff wages, though a resolution has yet to be found.

“The company hopes this intensive dialogue will lead to agreements between the parties for the benefit of the company’s employees and customers and calls on the pilots’ union to engage with a sincere and genuine desire to achieve these goals,” said the airline in a statement to The Times of Israel last week. Talks are expected to continue.

Local impact

The decision to close El Al’s Toronto route has drawn widespread criticism from Canada’s Jewish community over the reduced connection between the two countries. Air Canada will become the only direct air link between Toronto and Tel Aviv from the end of October.

Toronto-based financial advisor Asaf Halperin subsequently launched a petition urging the airline to reconsider, currently sitting at over 4,000 signatures. Supporters have cited various reasons for their signatures, including a lack of accessibility on the route, and enhanced security when traveling with El Al.

Director of Canadian Tourism at Israel’s Ministry of Tourism Gal Hana has also warned of its impact on the country’s tourism market. Around 100,000 Canadians visited Israel in 2019, with plans to increase figures by 10% post-pandemic, something to likely be “compromised” by the closure of the route, Hana told The Canadian Jewish News.

Earlier this month, El Al beefed up its US-bound offerings, adding a third weekly connection to Boston Logan International Airport following an uptick in demand for the route launched back in March.

The carrier has looked to move towards a more hub-based model as it makes its post-pandemic recovery, with recently appointed CEO Dina Ben Tal Ganacia telling media at the Future Travel Experience EMEA in Dublin earlier this month that the development of a well-connected hub-airline could bring new found revenue for El Al.

“Right now El Al serves as an Israeli point of sale; we don’t have the beyond traffic via Israel,” she noted. “We have this opportunity to open up to expand that.”

What are your thoughts on El Al’s decision to close its Toronto route? Let us know in the comments.

Sources: Globes, The Canadian Jewish News (1) (2), The Times of Israel, PAXEX AERO