In a militaristic country reeling from the scale of the Hamas attack, Israel's flag carrier El Al won the hearts of many Israelis by adding flights even flying on the Sabbath for the first time since 1982 to bring in reservists from abroad for the invasion of Gaza and to patrol the Lebanese border.
El Al has been the target of criticism on internet forums and in coffee shops for its excessive prices. The main complaint is that, in times of hardship, it received hundreds of millions of dollars, and now it is taking advantage of the situation to make loads of money instead of keeping fares down.
In the first months of the war, more than 80% of passengers to and from Tel Aviv flew with El Al. Around 100 foreign airlines cancelled their routes due to the cost of insurance, the safety of the crew and other concerns.
El Al's prices can be crazy: 1,000 to Madrid; 2,500 to the United States (11,000 in business class); 4,000 to Mexico. The airline's corporate results have made waves this year: first-quarter earnings of $80.5 million, compared to the $34.4 million losses in the same period last year.
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