El Al has received approval from the Israeli civil aviation authority to operate dedicated freighters.
This regulatory clearance allows the airline to transport cargo using all-cargo aircraft until June 5, 2024.
Last year October, El Al revealed that its freighter authorisation was at risk of being revoked by the regulator due to not meeting the minimum requirement of two cargo aircraft in its fleet.
However, an amendment to the regulation subsequently lowered this requirement to just one aircraft. Consequently, El Al made the decision to acquire a converted freighter in the form of a Boeing 737-800.
The introduction of the freighter has been delayed several months due to validation procedures, as the aircraft is being obtained through a dry-lease agreement.
Nevertheless, El Al announced on June 7 that it had received an amendment to its commercial licence from the civil aviation authority, which grants the Israeli carrier the right to operate all-cargo aircraft.
The airline is currently progressing with the validation process and should soon be able to offer regular cargo transportation services using dedicated cargo aircraft.