El Al will stay grounded on Saturdays

THE BAN against flying on the Jewish Sabbath will continue to cripple Israel's national carrier despite privatisation plans, analysts have said.
In a June 1 statement, the Israeli government announced partial privatisation plans for El Al Israel Airlines.
Forty-nine per cent of the carrier would be offered on the Tel Aviv stock exchange within the next 12 months, while the government would retain control of 51%, meaning aircraft would continue to stay grounded on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath.