El Al Matmid - LY fleet: how big can it get?

LY fleet now stands at around 40 (including Sun d'Or and Cargo)
How big can it become in the future?
Do you think it can double as it happens to many airlines?

It can be as big as necessary to support the flight operations they choose to have. Major factors in that is competition, demand and destinations served.

My guess is that the fleet will not double in size any time soon. The demand and destinations served don't really dictate that they move in that direction.

Do you think it can double as it happens to many airlines?

Not unless peace breaks out and LY starts becoming a regional player and regional business hub.

Before increasing the size of the fleet, it would be wise to modernize it a little bit and to get rid of those antiquated 767s as a first and urgent move......

I belive thay Plan to sell some 10 old 757 , 767 & Cargo 747
so i guess the fleet will stay the same.

http://www.themarker.com/tmc/article.jhtml?ElementId=skira20090730_1103861

I belive thay Plan to sell some 10 old 757 , 767 & Cargo 747
so i guess the fleet will stay the same.

http://www.themarker.com/tmc/article.jhtml?ElementId=skira20090730_1103861

Yes, according to the article, El Al plans to stop using 2 old 742s Cargo, but there are presently 4 of them in the fleet... Those planes would be part of a "reserve fleet" in case of emergency - I have never heard ofsuch a program before.

But anyway, already a decade ago I remember reading articles announcing El Al's "intention" to replace its 742s Cargo by newer 744s, a plan which was never implemented. One of the reasons is the fear of labor disputes and strikes because the flight engineers on those planes - the third man in the cockpit - would lose their job.......

Yes, according to the article, El Al plans to stop using 2 old 742s Cargo, but there are presently 4 of them in the fleet... Those planes would be part of a "reserve fleet" in case of emergency - I have never heard of such a program before.

I think this is one of the clauses left from when they were privatized. They still must maintain certain capacity to be available to be called upon in case needed in time of war.

I belive thay Plan to sell some 10 old 757 , 767 & Cargo 747
so i guess the fleet will stay the same.

http://www.themarker.com/tmc/article.jhtml?ElementId=skira20090730_1103861

4X-EBV (757) now flies for Sun d'Or
Only one 757 (EBU) flies now for LY mainline

maybe they will buy airbus a330-200 and a330-300 or a340-300 or a340-600
or maybe a350-1000xwb a350-900xwb or a380 in the boeing home maybe they will buy 737-900er 747-800 and 777-300er or 777-200lr and the 787

in the cargo Depot they will take 747-800f a330f a380f and 777f

they will keep their 777-200 737-800 747-400 767-300 767-200

:cool: :)

You might as well just list every commercial aircraft manufactured... :rolleyes:

Welcome to FT ely3256874.

your funny:)

no one orders the A343, now: it is outdated.

i didnt know that i read your trip report in airliners.net and i liked it:cool::)

i didnt know that i read your trip report in airliners.net and i liked it:cool::)

Which TR? Toda Ely!

toda that you are nice to every one ;)

4X-EBV (757) now flies for Sun d'Or
Only one 757 (EBU) flies now for LY mainline

The distinction between Sun d'or and elal is a joke, 2 month ago i returned on elal flight from Barcelona and we a got a crowded 757 sun d'or Marked aircraft , they even charged me for a reserved Preferred seat even that the plane was changed it took me 2 months & 10 Phone Calls to get the points back.
the entire fleet belongs elal and they slot the different aircraft as they wish.

The distinction between Sun d'or and elal is a joke, 2 month ago i returned on elal flight from Barcelona and we a got a crowded 757 sun d'or Marked aircraft , they even charged me for a reserved Preferred seat even that the plane was changed it took me 2 months & 10 Phone Calls to get the points back.
the entire fleet belongs elal and they slot the different aircraft as they wish.

The distinction is of course somewhat artificial since Sun d'Or is fully owned by El Al. The entity has been created in 1977 to allow El Al to better fight the growing number of "charter" airlines which started to offer flights between Europe and Israel. It was called "El Al Charter Services" - the name Sun d'Or was introduced 4 years later; I wonder who came up with such a name........

The distinction is nowadays also important regarding flights operated during Shabbat. El Al does not fly on Shabbat, not for legal reasons anymore but because of the pressure and boycott threats by some "religious" groups. However, El Al Cargo as well as Sun d'Or are operating flights on Shabbat. Last year, El Al experienced some problems with the "no flights on Shabbat" policy because some flights were operated in cases when it was clear before take-off that the plane would reach its destination only after the entry of Shabbat..... Thus, when one of El Al's antiquated 767s operating a Toronto-TLV flight had to make an emergency landing in London on a Friday, El Al decided to rebrand the continuation flight - after the plane was repaired - as a "Sun d'Or flight" with a new flight number (Shabbat-keeping passengers were able to sleep in London and fly to TLV after Shabbat's end the following evening). Of course, this tactic did not work and it sparked a new battle with the above mentioned religious circles which felt - understandingly - betrayed since El Al had violated the agreements they just reached with the airline....




"(...) they even charged me for a reserved Preferred seat even that the plane was changed it took me 2 months & 10 Phone Calls to get the points back. (...)"
This is SO typical. How is it that El Al is unable to change and improve its customer service.