El Al Israel Airlines and its have pilots agreed terms of a new deal aimed at ending a year of protests that forced flight cancellations, delays and higher expenses, the country's flag carrier said on Monday. The airline and its pilots have been locked in a bitter dispute for the past year, with pilots protesting against El Al's attempts to impose efficiency measures to reduce costs, particularly as competition has intensified. El Al, which has a fleet of 42 aircraft and employs some 600 pilots, said in a statement that the two sides were finalizing the deal and it would likely be signed in the coming days, sending shares in the airline 4 percent higher. The Histadrut Labour federation said in a separate statement it was happy to help bridge the gap between the sides and they would meet on Monday to finalize the deal.
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)