JERUSALEM, June 2 (JTA) — An Israeli Knesset committee has approved the sale of 49 percent of Israel’s national airline. Transportation Minister Shaul Yahalom, who said he expected the sale to take place within the next year, said that despite interest from major investors, shares in El Al would be offered publicly over the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The sale is part of the Israeli government’s plan to privatize a large part of the state industrial sector, but it would leave the government as the majority shareholder in El Al and El Al planes would still be banned from flying on Shabbat. The decision must still be approved by the Cabinet and Knesset Finance Committee. Meanwhile, El Al has joined other airlines in declaring all of its flights smoke-free. The new policy went into effect this week and will apply to all flights on the airline’s routes. Airline officials decided to adopt the no-smoking policy after a poll of passengers showed that 89 percent were interested in having smoke-free flights.
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