Israel's airlines to go on strike

Israeli airlines, acting in tandem with the Gistradut trade union association, will go on an open-ended strike Sunday demanding to keep the domestic air carrier market off limits to European companies.

Taking part in the walkout, scheduled to start at 5 am local time, are the flagship carrier El-Al, Arkia and Israir. Right now they have rescheduled some of their international flights for earlier hours so that the majority of flights take off before the strike begins.

The strikers’ main demand is for the government to scrap a proposed incremental removal of a cap on the allowed number of mutual flights which local air carriers fear would undermine their standing in the face of European competition.