EL AL reported an increase in freight volumes in May as the airline transferred its passenger aircraft over to cargo operations. Like many carriers, the Tel Aviv-hubbed carrier utilised its passenger aircraft for cargo operations following the coronavirus outbreak.
As a result, in May, the carrier handled 10,800 tons of cargo compared with 5,548 tons during the same month last year. About 7,600 tons were flown on passenger aircraft, while freighters carried around 3,200 tons.
During the month it carried out just over 160 charter flights using its passenger aircraft.
In terms of origins and destinations, 385 tons of cargo were flown from Europe to the US, 2,650 tons of cargo were imported from Europe to Tel Aviv, 1,275 tons was exported from Tel Aviv to Europe and 3,850 tons of cargo was flown between the Far East and Europe.
The carrier was one of the first to remove the seats from its passenger aircraft to maximise carrying capacity.
In April, it also signed a deal with freight forwarder Kuehne+Nagel to operate 150 cargo flights during the following six months.
At the start of the year, it also signed an ACMI deal with Atlas Air for a B747-400F as it re-entered the freighter market.
