Israelis Fly From Boredom To Nowhere

Here’s an idea for Israelis feeling cooped up in their small country but uninterested in visiting others: Board an airplane, fly around for a few hours, and then return home.

It’s the “Flight to Nowhere,” the latest offer from El Al.

Its maiden voyage proved “you don’t necessarily have to go to London or Paris to have a good time,” company spokesman Nachman Kleiman said Sunday.

The test flight, sponsored by Boeing, took 300 representatives of tour agencies and other airlines from Ben-Gurion Airport to the skies over the Greek island of Rhodes and back Saturday.

They were treated to dinner, ice cream, jelly donuts and popcorn as they sang Hanukkah songs and watched films, Kleiman said.

The flights are currently offered only to large groups, but the company hopes to expand the service to fill up empty airplane seats in the winter months. The flight costs about $85 per person.