GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Palestinian Ministry of Transport and Communications recently announced its decision to close and end operations of the Palestinian Airlines and sell its two airliners. The decision sparked an outcry among Palestinians who considered it to be a relinquishment of a symbol of the sovereignty of the State of Palestine.

The ministry said Dec. 29 that its decision was based on the high maintenance costs for the airline's two Fokker 50 aircraft, both of which are over 30 years old. One plane has been parked in Amman and the other in Cairo, as no airline company is leasing them in light of the coronavirus pandemic. This is not to mention the costs involved at Egypt’s and Jordan’s airports.

When the flights were operating, they would fly from el-Arish International Airport in Egypt for the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Some 100 flights were flown per year on average, and most carried pilgrims heading for umrah and hajj in Saudi Arabia.

The Palestinians were forced to travel through Egypt and Jordan as Israel had destroyed their only airport in the south of the Gaza Strip in the wake of the outbreak of the 2000 Al-Aqsa intifada. Gaza’s airport operated for only two years after its inauguration in 1998.