Two more Israeli companies have joined the boycott of Air France following an incident in which a pilot announced that the plane would soon be landing in Palestine.
Computer hardware manufacture DSP Group (Nasdaq: DSPG) management notified Air France management in Israel that they would no longer use the airline for business trips. Communications and computer equipment company Rad-Bynet made a similar announcement. Bad-Bynet's management instructed employees not to choose Air France when traveling abroad. Both companies say they expect Air France to apologize for the incident.
DSP and Rad-Bynet are following Bezeq, which began implementing the Air France boycott last week on the order of Bezeq general manager Ilan Biran, under which Bezeq employees and pensioners will not fly Air France. Bezeq has 8,500 employees.
Rad-Bynet owner Zohar Zisapel said, "We sent a letter to all the managers of our affiliated companies, in which we recommend not to fly Air France. We are an open group that does not force anyone to do this or that, but my impression is that the instruction will be accepted. I personally will not fly Air France until the matter is settled."
No response from the Air France offices in Israel was received by web-posting.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on July 18, 2002