Israel Matzav

KLM goes off the deep end

Back in April 1991, I traveled to Israel for my 'pilot trip' (to look for a job in preparation for our aliya). In those days my mileage was on TWA (of blessed memory). It was two months after the Gulf War ended, yet TWA was not yet flying directly to Israel. Instead, I had to fly to Rome and then fly El Al from there. Going back, if I recall correctly, I had to fly part of the trip on Pan Am. There was no place else in the region that the airlines were not flying except Baghdad. It was total paranoia.

Since then, all of the European airlines have adjusted their flight schedules so that they never have to leave a crew here overnight. Most European airlines arrive here between 3:00 and 4:00 am and leave here between 5:00 and 6:00 am.

Last week, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines went even further. If you flew from Israel to Larnaca between November 17 and 26 on KLM you made a stop in Larnaca. That way, they could decide from hour to hour (Larnaca is an hour flight from here; Amsterdam is about four and a half hours) whether it was 'safe' to refuel in Israel or whether they had to make a quick escape. Better than 1991 but not much.

The picture above was taken from the Samarian hills - the very same Samarian hills that the 'international community' wants to give the 'Palestinians' for their reichlet. Note the plane taking off in the red circle at the bottom. Yes, that plane is taking off from Ben Gurion Airport, and could easily be shot down with a Strella handheld surface-to-air missile.

If God forbid there is a 'Palestinian state' in Samaria, will KLM continue to fly here? Will any other airline aside from El Al? What could go wrong?

Labels: Ben Gurion Airport, Operation Pillar of Defense

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:41 AM