Israeli Transport Minister Moshe Katsav and Boris Panyukov, the Soviet minister of civil aviation, signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday in Moscow to establish a joint venture that would provide direct flights for immigrants between Moscow and Tel Aviv.
A delegation from Aeroflot is due here later this month to negotiate the terms of the agreement. Once signed, it is expected to allow the opening of El Al and Aeroflot offices in Moscow and Tel Aviv.
Katsav said it would permit Soviet and Israeli civil aircraft to overfly each other’s airspace on flights bound for the Far East.
The agreement would also allow each country to license the other’s aircraft parts. This would open the way toward the joint production of a proposed aircraft comprising fuselage and wings produced by the Soviet Union, a U.S.-made engine and Israeli electronics.
Katsav expects the agreement to be signed by year’s end.
The accord signed by the Israeli and Soviet ministers followed an announcement earlier this week by Jewish Agency Chairman Simcha Dinitz that the government of the Russian republic had agreed to inaugurate direct flights to Israel.
That agreement calls for flights on a new airline the republic is hoping to form, pending approval from the Soviet central government.
El Al presently has regular charter flights between Tel Aviv and Moscow, but only business people and tourists may book seats on the flights. New immigrants must still travel to an Eastern European country, from where they fly to Israel.
Jewish Agency officials said they do not expect direct flights to lead to any immediate increase in the number of newcomers arriving.
“It’s not flights which are keeping immigration low. It’s the potential immigrants’ fears of the employment situation here,” an official said Thursday in Israel.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
