Arkia to stop leasing Saturday flights for El Al

Since Sun D'Or's Air Operator’s Certificate was revoked, El Al has turned to Arkia and Israir to maintain Sabbath operations. Arkia Airlines informed that beginning May 1, it won’t lease Saturday flights to the national air carrier
 
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd could be forced soon into making a major decision on its future flight operations following the recent closure of its wholly-owned charter division Sun D'Or International Airlines.
 
Since Sun D'Or's Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) was revoked on April 1, El Al has turned to Arkia and Israir to provide capacity, most notably to maintain Sabbath operations.
 
El Al was leasing flights from the charter airlines in an attempt to bypass its official policy of not flying on the Sabbath, which would prompt a boycott by the Ultra-Orthodox sector.
 
Arkia Airlines has recently informed El Al that beginning May 1, it will no longer lease Saturday flights to the national air carrier. It is understood that Israir is also considering a similar move but has not made any official statement.