Israel and Hungary sign aviation agreement, Israel and Italy agree to work together to improve train safety

Israel and Hungary sign aviation agreement

Israel and Hungary have signed an agreement to allow more flights between Israel and Hungary.  The agreement will allow up to 30 flights each week between the two countries.  El Al currently operates six flights a week between Ben Gurion Airport  and Budapest Airport, while Malev Hungarian Airlines operates 13 flights a week.

The agreement will also allow Israeli airlines to fly for the first time to other airports in Hungary and not only Budapest.


Israel and Italy agree to work together to improve train safety


Israel and Italy yesterday signed an agreement as part of their joint cabinet meeting in  Rome to share expertise on train safety.

Taxi Fares to Rise by 4% on Tuesday and Israel's Sun D'Or Airline has operating licence withdrawn - Monday 21 March 2011

Taxi Fares in Israel to Rise by 4% tomorrow

The Transport Ministry in Israel announced yesterday that taxi fares will increase by 4% on Tuesday 22 March 2011, to reflect the rising cost of diesel.

Israel's Sun D'Or Airline has operating licence withdrawn

The Civil Aviation Authority in Israel has revoked the operating licence of the Israeli airline Sun D'Or as of 1 April 2011, for not complying with international aviation standards.  The decision announced by the Transport Ministry followed discussions with the airline for over a year and the European Commission which had concerns about the company's operations.

The airline is owned by El Al and specialises in scheduled and chartered services to destinations in Europe.  The company was founded in 1981 and hass three Boeing 757-200 planes.

Security of Jerusalem Light Rail and Ben Gurion Airport

As testing continues on the Jerusalem Light Rail line, TUV NORD Group are continuing their work to ensure the entire system fully meets the safety requirements.

When operational the light rail system, which will have 46 Citadis trams on a 14 km route, will meet the standard international requirement for railways EN 50126.  This is a higher standard of safety than most tram systems around the world.  In order to meet the EN 50126 safety standard, which will be issued by CENELEC (the European Committee for Electro-technical Standardisation, the light rail system will have to prove its reliability, availability, maintainability and safety, including integrating the tram line into the existing road network of Jerusalem.


Ben Gurion Airport Security

The Jerusalem Post carries an editorial supporting the profiling of passengers and questioning the High Courts of Israel decision to examine the process.

Jerusalem's Begin Highway to be extended, Proposed Northern Israel Rail Line and Aviation Legislation passes another stage in the Knesset

Jerusalem's Begin Highway to be extended to Gilo


The Begin Highway, one of Jerusalem's main traffic arterial roads is to be extended from the Golomb Street, via Malha Train Station to Gilo.  The Jerusalem Municipality is publishing tenders to find companies to carry out the work to extend the highway.

The project will be overseen by Moriah Jerusalem Development Company who have published the tender documents on their website.  The Jerusalem Municipality are also planning to widen the Begin Highway between Golomb Street and Kiryat Moshe, so that the entire road from Road 443 in northern Jerusalem to Malha in souther Jerusalem will have three lanes in both directions.

Proposed Northern Israel Rail Line

Israel's Transport Ministry has started the tender process for a new railway line along the route of the old Hejaz railway between Haifa and Jordan built during the Turkish Empire.  The Transport Ministry have published the tender for the first section of the line between Haifa and Afula, and it is expected the line will extend to Beit Shean.

The plan is for the proposed railway (pictured above) to start operating by 2016.

Aviation Legislation

A piece of Government legislation to improve aviation safety in Israel passed another stage in the Knesset this week, when it was approved by the Economics Committee.  The legislation being brought by the Transport Minister, Israel Katz, can now go for a 2nd and 3rd reading.  The new law the first of it's kind in the State of Israel is being introduced following criticism by the International Air Transport Association in January and the downgrading by the US Aviation Administration.

Wednesday 19th January News Israel Aviation Safety Criticised

The head of the International Air Transport Association - Giovanni Bisignani - has said that Israel's aviation safety is an "international embarrassment for the civil aviation authority.  This follows the Government being slow to implement safety recommendations at Ben Gurion Airport.

Israel has been warned that Ben Gurion Airport is using outdated technology, too short runways and has an overcrowded airspace together with a dysfunctional civil aviation authority.

This has seen Israel downgraded to a Category 2 state by the American Federal Aviation Administration, meaning that Israeli airlines are now prevented from expanding their capacity in the American market or carrying code-share passengers from American airlines.

Israel has though now begun to upgrade the civil aviation network with new radars and instrument landing systems, the extension of one of Ben Gurion's runways and the construction of a new air control tower.  Israel is also working with the American Federal Aviation Administration in order to be able to return to being a Category 1 state.  The Transport Ministry is also planning to introduce Israel's first piece of aviation legislation.