Israeli Airline Vows to Cancel Flights to Cairo Israel's national airline says it will stop flying to Cairo, even though the Israel-Egypt peace treaty mandates flights to the country. In a letter to Israel's foreign minister published Sunday in the Maariv daily, El Al Airlines CEO Eliezer Shkedi said that flights are nearly empty, and the airline cannot afford the high security and operating costs. El Al declined comment. But Irena Etinger, spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, confirmed the letter. Under their historic 1979 peace accord, Israel and Egypt agreed to operate flights between the countries. But few Israelis felt safe visiting Cairo, and their numbers have dwindled following last year's Egyptian revolution. Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said if El Al cancels its service, another airline must provide Cairo flights.