- Jul 2, 2018
- 3,734
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MINISTER FOR SHIPPING AND AVIATION |
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION: SECRET |
| 5 April 2009 |
| Dear CEO of El Al, The Australian Jewish community has long strived for a direct connection to Israel, their promised land. For a long time this has not been possibly, but with the advent of the Boeing 787 and the Boeing 777 aircraft, distances such as Tel Aviv to Melbourne are now possible. Melbourne is home to Australia's largest Jewish population and has a long history of being at the forefront of Jewish life in Australia. We would like to see El Al services begin between Tel Aviv and Melbourne. The Government is enthusiastic about this idea and we are willing to speed up the process of El Al obtaining a Foreign Air Transport Air Operators Certificate by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and also getting regulatory approval from the International Air Services Commission. We understand the sensitive security needs of El Al and therefore we will allow access to dedicated interview and frisk and search rooms at Melbourne Airport, along with armed Australian Federal Police protection and escorts for aircraft on the ground and also for staff moving through the terminal. Yours sincerely, Kelvin Thomson. |
Parliament House, CANBERRA, ACT 2600 Telephone: (02) 6277 7700 |
| Protective Marking: | Business Impact Level: | Compromise of Information Confidentiality: | Required to be Encrypted: |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNOFFICIAL | No Business Impact | No damage. This information does not form part of official duty. |  |
| OFFICIAL | Low Business Impact | No or insignificant damage. This is the majority of routine information. | |
| OFFICIAL: Sensitive | Low to Medium Business Impact | Limited damage to an individual, organisation or government generally if compromised. | |
| PROTECTED | High Business Impact | Damage to the national interest, organisations or individuals. |  |
| SECRET | Extreme Business Impact | Serious damage to the national interest, organisations or individuals. | |
| TOP SECRET | Catastrophic Business Impact | Exceptionally grave damage to the national interest, organisations or individuals. | |
Zak
