The flag carrier of Israel EL AL Airlines has become the official airline for the Miss Universe 2021, which is due to take place in the country on December 12, 2021.
According to a statement dated December 6, 2021, the international competition will be hosted in Israel by the country’s Ministry of Tourism. EL AL Airlines will be the air carrier to serve hundreds of delegations and representatives from dozens of countries around the world.
Representatives from 80 countries and five continents have already arrived in Israel ahead of the upcoming event, including Miss Andrea Meza, the Mexican representative and current holder of the Miss Universe crown.
Amit Sagi, chief digital officer (CDO) of EL AL Airlines, believes that the carrier’s role in the international beauty contest campaign will help the company to promote air tourism to the country as well as strengthen the airline’s brand worldwide.
“We are proud to be the official airline of the competition, to fly hundreds of participants to this competition from dozens of countries around the world and give them their first experience of Israel, already on the way here. EL AL is not just an airline, it’s Israel,” Sagi said in the statement.
While Israel’s borders are temporarily closed due to a new strain of the COVID-19 virus, delegations from participating countries received special approval to enter the territory of Israel.
In an attempt to stop the spread of the Omicron variant, the government of Israel became one of the first countries in the world to close its borders to all foreigners on November 28, 2021. Israel banned foreign nationals from entering the state for 14 days while waiting for more information regarding the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against the new virus strain, which was first detected in South Africa.