US Airways to Begin Nonstop Service from Philadelphia to Israel

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting in July 2009, US Airways will make history when the airline begins the only nonstop service between Philadelphia and Israel.

US Airways will begin the new daily, year-round service between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv on July 2, 2009. Teams from the Israel Ministry of Tourism and US Airways drafted a cooperation strategy for 2008-2009 at US Airways headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, on Aug. 21.

"We are delighted by US Airways' decision to begin flying nonstop flights from Philadelphia to Israel," said Consul Rami Levi, Director of the U.S. Western Region for the Israel Ministry of Tourism. "We expect US Airways' presence in the U.S.-Tel Aviv market to enhance economic growth and tourism opportunities for both the U.S. and Israel. We at the Israel Ministry of Tourism have been working to recruit US Airways since 2007, and we are thrilled by this historic decision."

The Israel Ministry of Tourism expects that the new service will significantly add to the already record number of American tourists visiting Israel. In 2007, more than 500,000 Americans visited Israel, setting the record for U.S. tourism to the Holy Land in a year. With numbers from the first two quarters of 2008 again showing increases, IMOT projects that 2008 will set a new benchmark for American tourism to Israel.

The new flight strategy will also have a direct impact on the economies of both nations as US Airways is the fifth largest domestic airline, with approximately 3,500 flights per day and service in more than 230 communities. International studies have estimated that one daily trans-Atlantic flight on a wide body jet contributes hundreds of millions of dollars into a local economy and sustains thousands of jobs.

About the Israel Ministry of Tourism (www.goisrael.com)

With its central office in Jerusalem, Israel, the Israel Ministry of Tourism leads the State of Israel's efforts at maintaining a strong tourism industry. The Ministry of Tourism promotes tourism to Israel via its Israel Government Tourist Offices in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

    Contact
    Rami Levi
    Director - U.S. Western Region
    Phone: 323-658-7463
    Email: ramil18@gmail.com