Citing problems with competition from other airlines, Bill Gale, the new West Coast regional manager, said he could not foresee direct service from San Francisco to Israel. Passing through the Bay Area last month, Gale, who began work at El Al's Los Angeles office in June, visited travel agencies here. Three years ago, El Al, the national airline of Israel, stopped direct flights from San Francisco. L.A. Adding a second flight, Gale said, is part of a plan to increase profitability.
Gale is the first non-Israeli regional manager.
El Al has been sprucing up service recently by putting more emphasis on customers, Gale said. The airline, which is owned by the Israeli government, has also set its sights on competing commercially on a global level. As a nationally owned company, El Al is prohibited from flying on Shabbat, which limits its revenue. But in recent years, the company has been making an effort to become more profitable by privatizing. This year, the airline began the process of putting up 49 percent of its stock for sale.