We must learn our lesson

The government is meeting some of the national airline's demands, but that's not because of its strike. El Al is getting what it wants because Israel Airports Authority employees' threatened to shut down Ben-Guiron International Airport. The government takes a blockade of Israel's only gateway to the rest of the world more seriously than the cancellation of a few Israeli flights.

Israeli airlines began losing a considerable share of the market to foreign companies some time ago. El Al knows it has no choice but to engage in a more competitive market.

The government's insistence on signing the Open Skies agreement with the European Union was justified because Israel stands to gain from an increase in tourism from Europe. To get European tourists to come, however, Tourism Minister Uzi Landau needs to restore our image as an attractive tourist destination. Tourists in Israel must know that they can leave when they want to.

Of all the woes facing Israeli airlines, the issue of joining a global airline alliance presents the most prickly problem. It seems impossible to solve because, in every alliance, there's at least one Arab carrier that would reject outright an Israeli airline's membership.

This leaves room for Israeli companies to work together: Israeli airlines can sign working agreements for flights to destinations in Europe, while continuing to compete for customers flying to Eilat.

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