EL AL's VP Cargo at Customer Meeting: This Year Proved the Importance of El Al Cargo

El Al Cargo held a customer conference attended by approximately 150 international shippers, customs agents, and cargo owners, held at the EVENS complex in Beit Nehemia. The event, titled 'An experiential, fascinating, and enriching morning', was conducted in a pleasant atmosphere and included a lavish breakfast, a few words of greeting, a fascinating lecture by journalist Itai Engel from Channel 12, and an experiential performance by Lior Kalphon on the funny secrets of body language.

El Al'S VP Cargo, Ronen Shpira, opened the event and noted that the company operated under challenging conditions during the 'Iron Swords' war, while expanding its operations and providing solutions to customers even in complex times. 'We went through a very challenging year, but we managed to meet the task and continue to provide solutions to our customers, even when the entire market was in emergency conditions,' said Shpira. He emphasized that the company was among the few players that continued to respond to the market during the war, and that the volume of work grew fourfold, leading to an extraordinary load but also to strengthening the service system.

During the event, Shpira revealed that El Al Cargo strengthened its operations with the addition of cargo planes to various destinations in Europe, including Germany, Zurich, London, and Amsterdam, alongside the expansion of the lines to India and Dubai. 'We operated new cargo lines in the war, and now the question is whether we can continue to do so. It depends on you, our customers - if the demand remains, we will continue to operate these lines as an integral part of our network,' he said. He noted that operating cargo planes requires broad market support, and that the company expects to continue and expand its operations according to customer requirements.

Shpira emphasized that the company is making significant digitization moves that allow customers to place orders more conveniently and quickly, with immediate pricing and higher availability. 'We are seeing a crazy increase in the number of digital orders, and this is a central part in improving our service. If you have not yet connected to our digital system - now is the time,' he said.

According to Shapira, in the field of operations, the company plans to open a new terminal in Athens, which will respond to both the cargo planes and El Al's passenger planes, and to reopen the terminal in Newark, which was closed during the Corona period. 'New York is returning to activity soon, and this will give us many more options in handling shipments to the US,' he added.

Among the main announcements at the conference, Shpira revealed that the company is seriously considering purchasing a new Boeing 777 cargo plane, a move that is expected to significantly increase the company's cargo capacity. 'We are not just talking about it - we are really examining the specific plane we want, and this is a significant step that shows the direction El Al Cargo is going,' he said. According to Shapira, if the purchase is made, the plane is expected to join the company's fleet within two years.

The event also included a fascinating lecture by journalist Itai Engel, who provided a geopolitical analysis, as well as an experiential performance by Lior Kalphon.

Shpira concluded the event by expressing gratitude to the customers and shippers who arrived and noted that the company will continue to develop the services, improve operational capabilities, and invest in the future of air cargo in Israel. 'Our team works around the clock to ensure that our customers continue to receive the highest level of service - it's not just a matter of planes and terminals, but of the people who work with you every day,' he concluded.