A little over three months before the first landing in Israel, it looks as though China's Hainan Airlines is already positioning itself as a cheap alternative to El Al and even Turkish Airlines on the Tel Aviv-Beijing route. A return ticket for a direct flight will cost $741.
Hainan Airlines will start flying between Tel Aviv and Beijing on April 28 with three flights a week. The return fare applies to both short and long, six-month stays, which indicates that it is not a one-time promotion but a pretty reasonable pricing policy.
El Al has not stood by, and after the publication of Hainan Airlines attractive price it cut its fare from $1,180 to $789. This means that Turkish Airlines, which does not offer a direct flight, is currently the most expensive of all, at $865.
Hainan Airlines is the fourth largest airline in China, and is privately held. On the Tel Aviv route it will operate new Airbus A330 aircraft in a two-class configuration, with 176 seats in tourist class and 34 seats in business class.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 19, 2016
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