| Palestinian airlines have once again resumed flying after being grounded for seven years. The Palestinian Authority owned airlines has only two destinations with biweekly flights between El-Arish in Egypt and the Jordanian capital Amman. It has leased two hubs one in Jordan and one in Egypt Securing the flights is the sole responsibility of Egyptian and Jordanian security personnel. In the late 1990s, Palestinian airlines operated from Gaza International Airport, carrying thousands of passengers per year to destinations across the Middle East. In 2001, Israeli forces destroyed Gaza international airport, forcing the airlines to operate in the Egyptian city of el-Arish until 2005 when it ceased its operations because of Israeli and Egyptian restrictions on passengers from Gaza and frequent closures of Gaza's borders. Palestinian airlines issue tickets through travel agents and a new company office in Gaza city. With the absence of embassies in Gaza, residents here get visas through travel agents who send their passports to foreign embassies by mail. Now Gazans don't have to travel hundreds of kilometers to the Cairo airport to catch a flight. All they have to do is to travel 60 kilometers to the Egyptian city of al-Arish via the Rafah crossing. Gazans say they are waiting for their national airlines to expand its destinations to many countries. Many here described the resumption of Palestinian airlines flights after a 7-year hiatus as a sign of Palestinian sovereignty. |
