June 14, 2023
All Nippon Airways (ANA) and EL AL Israel Airlines of Israel have Agreed to Cooperate in Code-sharing (Joint operation) and Mileage Exchange
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This agreement is the first overseas tie-up for a major Japanese airline after the new coronavirus.The two companies will soon sign and announce a partnership agreement, restarting in anticipation of a full-fledged recovery in mobile demand after COVID-19.
By spring 2024, joint flights will begin between Japan and Tel Aviv. EL AL Israel Airlines launched direct service between Tel Aviv and Narita Airport in March.
El Al is not a member of any global airline alliance such as "Star Alliance." The two companies will respond to expanding exchanges between the two countries through individual partnerships.
Before COVID-19, visitors from Israel to Japan had increased for eight consecutive years through 2019. In 2019, there were 44,000 visitors from Israel to Japan, double the number in 2015. Through the alliance, ANA will encourage visitors to Japan to use ANA's domestic flights.
People call Israel the "Silicon Valley of the Middle East," where more than 300 global companies have established R&D hubs. Suppose traffic between the two countries increases, such as through further growth in business demand. In that case, ANA will consider operating its flights.
El Al has been gradually deregulated locally to fly over the surrounding Middle Eastern countries, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Oman, and has expanded the number of flights to Europe.
Japan-Israel exchanges are also deepening. The investment pact entered force in 2017, and a joint study on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) started in 2022.
ANA and other airline companies have responded to the sharp decline in global aviation demand due to COVID-19 after 2020. ANA estimates that domestic and international markets will continue to recover in fiscal year 2023. ANA decided the timing was right to move from infectious disease response to expanding the global network.
