Israel Aerospace Industries and Brook Aviation to Help VIPs Rise Above the Traffic

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has crippled airlines across the world. But air travel is still not dead, as evident from Sunday's announcement that Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) and Brook Aviation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaboration in helicopter flights for VIPs.

Brook will provide and fly the helicopters while the IAI will be responsible for maintenance. Flights will depart from the state-owned defense contractor’s complex in Lod following the recent closure of the Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv. "We can offer flights from Ben-Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv and other destinations," said IAI EVP and head of IAI’s Aviation Group, Yossi Melamed. "It will take 10 minutes in the air rather than an hour on the road. There are also high-profile passengers who during the coronavirus pandemic would prefer to fly without having to come in contact with other people and arrive quickly from their home to the office."

The new collaboration will be competing against several private helicopter companies in Israel which focus on flying high-profile passengers, as well as flights to offshore oil and natural gas rigs.

“The strategic collaboration with IAI is an important milestone for Brook Aviation as part of the establishment of helicopter flight infrastructure in Israel," said Brook Aviation’s CEO, Gil Peleg. "The agreement with IAI is the latest in a series of strategic collaborations meant to offer the highest level of service in line with international standards. Brook Aviation looks forward to tapping the potential of helicopter flights in Israel and the added value that our collaboration with IAI will provide to the Israeli market.”