US Airways to begin nonstop flights from Philadelphia to Israel

US Airways would become the third US carrier to fly nonstop flights to Israel. The new daily service will commence on July 2009
 
US Airways announced last week it will begin flying daily nonstop flights to Tel Aviv beginning July 2009. In a statement issued last week the airline noted that it will begin the new daily, year-round service between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv on July 2, 2009.
 
Rami Levi, director of the Israel tourism ministry's US Western region, said in a statement  that "We expect US Airways' presence in the US-Tel Aviv market to enhance economic growth and tourism opportunities for both theUS and Israel,".
 
The ministry expects the new service to significantly add to an already record number of US tourists visiting Israel, which amounted to about 500,000 in 2007.
 
US Airways would become the third US carrier to fly nonstop flights to Israel. Continental flies two flights a day from Newark Liberty while Delta operates daily flights from both JFK New York and Atlanta.
 
It is understood that representatives of the Israel Ministry of Tourism and US Airways drafted a cooperation strategy for 2008-2009 at US Airways headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, on Aug. 21.