EL Al cargo outweighs the costs

DESPITE a hefty rise in fuel costs and a decline in tonnage through Ben Gurion International Airport (Israel) El Al managed to lift its cargo revenues in the second quarter of 2011.
Cargo revenues grew six per cent year-on-year, reaching US$51.3m. This was against a backdrop of a near-50 per cent rise in fuel cost and a two per cent drop in tonnage through the airport.
In August, the carrier closed its route to São Paulo (Brazil) in order to utilise its 777s on more profitable routes.
"We are also planning to remove aircraft that are considered fuel-inefficient from service and add winglets to the wing tips of other aircraft," chief executive officer Elyezer Shkedy says.