El Al Changing Route to Tel Aviv

In 2015, El Al (the flag carrier of Israel) announced direct flights from Tel Aviv- Ben Gurion Airport to Boston Logan on a Boeing 767-300ER. The flight operates 3 times a week, but the 767s that the airlines are old, very old. The average age of one in their fleet is 22.5 years old and unlike other airlines that operate the 767, notably the 3 US legacy carriers, the airline has not retrofitted them with new seats. The aircraft is a blast from the past, with no personal video/IFE screens and no power ports, a rare sight in today's world, especially on a 10.5-hour flight. The airline is planning to retire the aircraft from service by 2020, this is resulting in the flight being changed to a Boeing 777-200ER this October 28, 2018. This is a huge improvement over the old 767s as there will be power ports at each seat and personal IFE screens. This also represents a large capacity increase as well, although the number of flights operated by the airline won't increase. The 767 carried 218 passengers while the 777 carries 279 passengers, additionally, unlike the 767, the 777 has a first class. I am not surprised to see the aircraft change, the 767s are becoming very old, and it is better to use them on short-haul flights instead of the long flights to Boston where a more comfortable plane could be used. The only other long-haul destination of El Al's 767s in Toronto, which is likely to see an aircraft change announced in the coming months. I am really glad to see that Boston will have an improved product over the aging 767, I just hope that the load factors keep up with the increased capacity.

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