El Al re-enters freighter market with Atlas Air

El Al has re-entered the freighter market with Atlas Air operating a Boeing 747-400F on the Tel Aviv to Liege route.

The flag carrier signed an ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) agreement with Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings for flights that began last month.

Liege is Belgium’s main air cargo facility and bucked the downward global trend last year by reaching a new record of 902.480 tonnes of transported goods in a 3.6% increase over 2018.

John Dietrich, President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Air Worldwide., said: “This new agreement will allow El Al to capitalise on the state-of-the-art service solutions provided by our aircraft.

“We welcome El Al as a new customer and look forward to supporting El Al as it continues to capture market opportunities and enhance its position as a leader in Israel’s cargo industry.”

Ronen Spira, head of El Al’s cargo division, said: “We are committed to providing our customers with a variety of cargo solutions.

“This strategic initiative with Atlas Air enables us to provide our customers with a stable and high-quality operation for all types of cargo. Atlas Air’s fleet of 747 aircraft is well-suited to support El Al’s operations and schedules.”

The new service is in direct competition with ACE Belgium Freighters, which runs on 747F between Liege and Tel Aviv.

El Al’s cargo history goes back to 1988 when it flew 150 giant support columns for the construction of maritime oil rigs to Alaska.