El al

The early years

El Al Lockheed Constelation

In September 1948, Israeli engineers and technicians converted a military aircraft from the Israeli Air Force into a civilian one. The plane took off from Tel Nof military base and had on board two crews totaling 16 people. The plane arrived in Geneva , where it took on board Israeli President Haim Weizmann and his wife Vera. On the same day in the evening the plane arrived back in Tel Nof . In the airspace of Israel, the aircraft in its first civilian flight was accompanied by four fighters. This flight is considered the first flight of the Israeli civilian airline El Al ^[5] .

Officially, El Al was founded on November 15, 1948, and in August 1949 began regular passenger transportation from Tel Aviv to Paris and Rome on two DC-4 aircraft purchased from American Airlines , and London and Johannesburg added to their destinations a little later.

The cargo unit El Al Cargo was opened in 1950 , flights were carried out on Curtiss C-46 Commando military aircraft. The same aircraft were also used to transport passengers on some routes. In the same year, the airline began charter flights to the United States , and regular flights were later opened. ^[6]

In 1950-1951, El Al began flying to Vienna , Istanbul , Athens and Nicosia .

El Al aircraft were repeatedly used in the evacuation of repatriates to Israel from various countries; in the early 1950s, more than 160,000 people were removed from India , Iran , Iraq and Yemen as part of the Eagle Wings , Ezra and Nahemiah operations . In 1960, the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann was captured and taken from Argentina to Israel aboard an El Al plane.

In 1955, El Al acquired two Bristol Britannia aircraft and became the second airline in the world to use this type of aircraft.

In 1958, the airline took a bold step; a newspaper advertisement was launched in the United States depicting the declining Atlantic Ocean and the inscription: “the Atlantic Ocean will be 20% smaller starting December 23rd” to promote its direct transatlantic flights. Up to this point, in the aviation industry, no one has used ocean images for advertising because of the widespread fear of plane crashes. Ads shown only once have been effective. Over the course of the year, El Al ticket sales tripled.

1960s

In the early 1960s, the airline began to use new types of aircraft, the jet Boeing 707 and Boeing 720 .

In 1960, the airline first broke even, more than 50% of passengers arriving in Israel used El Al flights. On June 15, 1961 , a Boeing 707 aircraft owned by El Al set a world record for non-stop flying, covering a distance of 9,270 kilometers in 9 hours and 33 minutes. ^[7] By this time, the airline carried 56,000 passengers a year. In 1968, regular flights to Bucharest were opened, as well as cargo flights to Europe and the United States .

On July 23, 1968, the first terrorist attack with an El Al plane was committed. A Boeing 707 with 10 crew members and 38 passengers was captured by three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) . Flight 426 , traveling from Rome to Tel Aviv , was redirected to Algeria . Negotiations with the hijackers lasted 40 days. Ultimately, the hijackers surrendered and passengers, including 21 Israeli hostages, were released. ^[8] On December 26 of that year, two PFLP members attacked an El Al plane at Athens International Airport , killing an Israeli mechanic. The Israel Defense Forces reacted to this incident on December 29, as a result of an overnight air raid on Lebanese Beirut airport , 14 aircraft belonging to Middle East Airlines , TMA Cargo and Lebanese International Airways were destroyed. ^[9]

On February 18, 1969, an El Al plane was attacked at Zurich Airport , as a result of which one of the pilots was killed and the second wounded. One of the attackers was shot dead, others were convicted. Between September and December of the same year, bombs were blown up in the airline’s offices in Athens , West Berlin and Brussels . September 6, 1970 an unsuccessful attempt was made to capture the Boeing 707 aircraft by active members of the PFLP Leyla Khaled and Patricio Arguello .

1970s

In 1971, the airline acquired its first Boeing 747 . The second was purchased in 1973 .

In the mid-1970s, it was planned to launch flights that would fly to Jewish Shabbat from airports outside of Israel and land in Israel after its completion. But government religious parties were strongly opposed to this, since it would be a violation of Jewish law and contrary to the agreement to abstain from flying on Saturday, which Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion concluded with religious leaders at the beginning of the airline. In 1982, the newly re-elected Prime Minister Menachem Begin submitted to the Knesset a decision to once again ban flights on Saturday (it was passed with 58 votes to 54). The indignant secular public threatened to boycott the airline. In August 1982, El Al workers blocked orthodox and Hasidic Jews from entering the airport. ^[10]

In the mid-1970s, the airline, for the first time in 20 years, became unprofitable. This was mainly due to the global recession .

In 1977, El Al established a subsidiary charter company, El Al Charter Services Ltd., which was later renamed Sun D'or International Airlines Ltd.

In April 1980 , after the conclusion of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, flights to Cairo were opened. ^[eleven]

At the end of 1982 , after numerous labor disputes and strikes, the activities of El Al were suspended. By the end of the fiscal year, the airline lost $ 123.3 million.

The activity was resumed in January 1983 under competitive management . The government acquired two new Boeing 737 aircraft and announced plans to acquire four Boeing 767 aircraft worth $ 200 million. Four years later, El Al became profitable again. ^[12] Another record was broken, in May 1988, a direct flight was opened to Los Angeles from Tel Aviv , the distance of 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) was covered in 13 hours and 41 minutes. ^[13]

In 1989, flights began to Poland and Yugoslavia . ^[12]

1990s

By this time, the airline had operated a fleet of 20 aircraft, including nine Boeing 747s , and began replacing its Boeing 707 fleet with narrow-body long-range Boeing 757s . After the collapse of the Soviet Union , El Al opened regular flights to Moscow . Charter flights were also carried out (since August 1991 ). In collaboration with Aeroflot , El Al transported more than 400,000 Jewish returnees to Israel over three years.

On May 24, 1991, a Boeing 747 cargo plane transported a record number of Ethiopian Jews from Addis Ababa to Israel as part of Operation Solomon . During the flight, three children were born. The plane carried twice as many passengers as was calculated. ^[1] In less than 36 hours, 14,500 Ethiopian Jews were brought to Israel. On April 27, 1994, El Al received its first Boeing 747-400 . ^[12]

In 1995, El Al and American Airlines signed their first code-sharing agreement . ^[12] In February 1995, bankruptcy management ceased, in which the airline had operated since 1982 . In June 1996, El Al completed their first flight from Israel to Amman , Jordan . ^[13]

In 1996 , the airline generated $ 83.1 million in losses due to increased terrorist activities and the government’s open skies policy. ^[12] To avoid the downtime of its aircraft, the airline launched flights “to nowhere,” while the plane circled over the Mediterranean Sea , passengers were offered various types of entertainment in flight. ^[12]

2000s

El Al's Boeing 777 completed its first flight in March 2000 .

Later that year, a dispute over flights to Shabbat flared up again when the airline announced that it was losing $ 55 million a year without flying on Saturdays.

The first phase of the company's long-delayed privatization began in June 2003 , when 15% of the company's shares were put up for sale on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange . By June 2004, 50% of the shares were put up for public auction. Knafaim-Arkia Holding acquired a significant stake in El Al. ^[14] As of October 2014 , 36% of the airline's shares are owned by Knafaim-Arkia , 10% each by the Ginsburg Group and Delek Group.

In August 2010, El Al and the American JetBlue Airways signed an agreement to provide connecting tickets between Israel and 61 destinations in the United States of America through John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York . ^[fifteen]

El Al's headquarters is located at Ben Gurion Airport in the Central District of Israel , near the city of Lod .

60% of airline passengers are Israeli citizens. ^[16] El Al spends $ 100 million a year to comply with the stringent security measures required by Israel’s Shabak General Security Service.

In early 2007 , El Al opened the new King David Lounge at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris . Toward the end of that year, new waiting rooms opened at Heathrow Airport in London and Kennedy International Airport in New York . ^[17]

In 2007, El Al invested 1 billion shekels in the purchase of two new Boeing 777-200s , which included an updated airline livery . The aircraft are equipped with upgraded seats with adjustable head restraints and footrests. Each seat is equipped with a touch-screen entertainment system. The first aircraft, called "Sderot," completed its inaugural flight from New York to Tel Aviv on July 26, 2007. The second, "Kiryat Shmona," was delivered at the end of August 2007. ^[eighteen]

After the FAA downgraded the Israeli airline's security rating to second level in February 2009, the IATA warned El Al, as well as Arkia and Israir , that they could be blacklisted with a flight ban to European countries. In November 2012, the FAA reinstated Israel’s airline rating to category 1. ^[19]

El Al uses Amadeus CRS to book, check-in, check-in, and book online. ^[twenty]

Low Cost Airline Up

On November 26, 2013, a new, and now defunct, subsidiary budget airline Up , ^[21] which began operations on March 30, 2014 , was launched, flights to Berlin , Budapest , Kiev , Larnaca and Prague were launched. ^[21] Up flights have replaced some of the European routes of the parent company El Al. For these purposes, 5 Boeing 737-800 aircraft from the El Al fleet were transferred to a subsidiary. ^[21] All Up flights were operated under the four-digit code El Al and using her callsigns. ^[21] On flights over two hours, the airline, on board its aircraft, offered paid meals. ^[22]

In August 2014, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary heralded the development of Ryanair Israel , flying from Israel to cities across Europe . According to him, the position of the Israeli authorities, which protects local airlines from competition, has become a constraining factor in this regard. However, Ryanair opened flights to Uvda and Ben Gurion airports in the 2017/18 winter season from several European airports.

The Up subsidiary was closed on October 14, 2018. All flights to six destinations and the fleet were returned to the main network of the parent company El Al. ^{[23] [24]}

Charter airline Sun d'Or

Sun D'or Airlines was established on October 1, 1977 , wholly owned by El Al, and operates scheduled, special and seasonal charter passenger flights.

On March 20, 2011, the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) suspended the airline’s license, which was canceled on April 1 of the same year based on a number of complaints from European carriers. CAA justified its decision by non-compliance with Israeli and international airline management standards, mainly the lack of its own aircraft and crew (the company was actually a division of El Al and used its aircraft through wet leasing ). Since then, Sun d'Or no longer operates its own aircraft, but uses El Al aircraft. ^[25]

Tamam

Tamam, a fully owned company by El Al, is engaged in the production and supply of ready-made kosher meals to airlines.

Kalit

Kalit, a company also wholly owned by El Al, is engaged in the production and delivery of ready-made kosher dishes to airline employees.

Borenstein

El Al, a U.S.- registered subsidiary operating at Kennedy International Airport , New York , manufactures and supplies kosher prepared meals to airlines and other agencies.

Superstar Holidays

Superstar, a fully owned company by El Al, sells travel packages to agents and passengers, and also sells flights on El Al flights at discounted prices.

El Al has a reputation as one of the safest ^[26] airlines in the world due to its stringent security procedures, both on the ground and on board its aircraft. ^{[27] [28]}

The airline is the only commercial airline to equip its aircraft with missile defense systems to protect its aircraft from ground-to-air missiles .

Missile defense systems

El Al aircraft began to be equipped with missile defense from the early 2000s , the original system was called Flight Guard . ^{[29] [30]}

В 2014 году , на некоторые свои самолёты, авиакомпания начала устанавливать обновлённую систему предупреждения о сближении с ракетой (MAWS) , которая включает в себя инфракрасную камеру слежения за ракетами для обнаружения пусков на самых ранних этапах и лазерную систему для отвода ракет. ^[31]

Меры безопасности в аэропорту

В хабе авиакомпании, аэропорту Бен-Гурион , агенты в штатском и вооружённые полицейские или военнослужащие патрулируют помещения на предмет взрывчатых веществ, подозрительного поведения пассажиров и других угроз. Вооружённые сотрудники службы безопасности также несут службу и в зарубежных аэропортах, в которые летает El Al. Перед рейсом пассажиров и их багаж проверяет специальные сотрудники. Процедуры безопасности El Al требуют, чтобы все пассажиры были опрошены индивидуально перед посадкой, что позволяет идентифицировать возможные угрозы безопасности. Пассажирам могут задаваться различные вопросы о месте их рождения, причине поездки, работе или профессии, а также о том, упаковали ли они свои сумки самостоятельно. Авиакомпанией считается, что интервьюеры могут заметить признаки нервозности подозрительных пассажиров. ^[32]

На стойке регистрации внимательно изучаются паспорта и билеты пассажиров. Паспорт без наклейки от сотрудников безопасности не принимается. На паспортном контроле имена пассажиров сверяются с информацией из баз данных ФБР , Канадской службы разведки и безопасности (CSIS) , Скотланд-Ярда , Шин Бет и Интерпола . Иногда вручную проверяется багаж пассажиров. Кроме того, багаж пропускают через декомпрессионную камеру , имитирующую давление во время полёта, которое может привести к взрыву. ^[33] В зарубежных аэропортах агенты безопасности El Al также проводят личный досмотр багажа пассажиров, даже если эти пассажиры находятся под опекой государственных или частных охранных фирм. ^[34]

Меры безопасности на борту самолётов

Агенты (маршалы) в штатском, которые скрыто вооружены огнестрельным оружием, сопровождают каждый международный рейс El Al под видом обычных пассажиров. Большинство пилотов авиакомпании - бывшие пилоты ВВС Израиля . ^[35] Кабины пилотов всех самолётов El Al имеют двойные двери для предотвращения проникновения посторонних лиц. Первая дверь оснащена кодовым замком, вторая дверь открывается только после того, как первая закрыта и входящий опознан пилотами. ^[35] Кроме того, пассажирский салон отделён от багажного отсека армированными стальными листами. ^[36]

В апреле 2013 года правительство Израиля увеличило платежи El Al до 97,5% от суммарных расходов авиакомпании на безопасность, в преддверии соглашения об открытом небе , которое вступило в силу в 2014 году с Европейским Союзом . ^[37]

Споры по вопросам безопасности и дискриминация по национальным признакам

Венгерские власти критиковали авиакомпанию за отказ досматривать багаж в присутствии пассажира, что противоречит внутренним законам Венгрии , которые также предусматривают, что такие досмотры могут проводить только уполномоченные должностные лица. ^[38]

В 2008 году Ассоциация за гражданские права в Израиле обратилась в Верховный Суд Израиля с гражданским делом, в котором утверждалось, что авиакомпанией проводится дискриминационная практика по отношению к пассажирам арабского происхождения, ^[39] им уделяется гораздо более жесткий контроль службы безопасности.

Ассоциация ходатайствовала о полной ликвидации в авиакомпании этнических предубеждений. ^[40] В 2015 году суд отклонил ходатайство по процессуальным основаниям, частично согласившись с аргументом правительства о том, что "такое положение вещей не может полностью измениться", но возместив Ассоциации в общей сложности 30 000 шекелей за её судебные издержки, и установив, что петиция "уже подала сигнал службе безопасности, быть менее дискриминационной." ^[40] Суд допустил возможность возобновления ходатайства в будущем, если потребуется. ^[40]

Обращение с пассажирами женского пола

В сентябре 2014 года сообщалось, что имели место неоднократные инциденты, когда некоторые ультраортодоксальные пассажиры мужского пола отказывались сидеть рядом с женщинами-пассажирами, иногда задерживая рейсы. В результате была инициирована петиция на Change.org для оказания давления на авиакомпанию, чтобы она изменила свою политику, позволяющую ультраортодоксальным пассажирам требовать пересадить других. В петиции говорилось: "почему авиакомпания El Al Airlines разрешает запугивать, запугивать и запугивать женщин-пассажиров, вынуждая их менять место, которое было назначено авиакомпанией и за которое они по праву заплатили? Религиозные права одного человека не превосходят гражданские права другого." ^[41]

Авиакомпания ответила на эту петицию, что не будет проводить специальную политику для разрешения ситуаций, когда мужчины-Харедимы отказываются сидеть рядом с женщинами-пассажирами, а вместо этого будет разрешать такие инциденты на индивидуальной основе. ^[42]

В феврале 2016 года Рене Рабиновиц подала успешный иск к авиакомпании El Al, после участия в инциденте, когда ультраортодоксальный мужчина отказался сидеть рядом с ней на рейсе из Международного аэропорта Ньюарк в Тель-Авив , а бортпроводники попросили её пересесть на другое место. Позже, в 2018 году , авиакомпания решила впредь немедленно снимать с рейса всех пассажиров, которые отказываются сидеть рядом с женщиной. ^[43]

Другие события

В 2013 году средства массовой информации сообщили о беспрецедентном случае, рейс El Al был возвращён, чтобы забрать 11-летнего, больного раком, мальчика Инбара Хомского, который направлялся в летний лагерь для детей с тяжелыми заболеваниями, и не был допущен к рейсу из-за отсутствия паспорта. Незадолго до взлёта, его паспорт был найден в рюкзаке другого пассажира и экипаж смог договориться о возвращении самолёта. Авиакомпания опубликовала заявление, в котором было отмечено, что "самолёты редко возвращаются к гейту после вылета...но когда паспорт был найден в самолёте...было принято решение и самолёт вернулся, чтобы забрать Инбара.” ^[44]

El Al обслуживает направления на четырёх континентах в 31 стране. Авиакомпания осуществляет рейсы во множество европейских городов, Россию , Северную Америку , Центральную и Юго-Восточную Азию ( Бангкок , Мумбаи ), Дальний Восток ( Пекин и Гонконг ), а также Йоханнесбург ( ЮАР ) и Занзибар . ^[45]

Однако невозможность для авиакомпании пользоваться воздушным пространством Саудовской Аравии , а также воздушным пространством ряда других арабских и мусульманских стран ограничивает дальнейшее расширение своей маршрутной сети в Азии . Саудовская Аравия недавно предоставила Air India разрешение на пролёт самолётов в собственном воздушном пространстве рейсом из Нью-Дели в Тель-Авив трижды в неделю. Если Саудовская Аравия не позволит El Al использовать своё воздушное пространство, то авиакомпания может потерять большую долю своего азиатского рынка из-за других авиакомпаний, имеющих более короткие и дешёвые маршруты. Однако, недавние контакты между израильскими и саудовскими официальными лицами могут изменить позицию Саудовской Аравии .

Code Sharing

El Al has a code-sharing agreement with the following airlines: ^[46]

• Air serbia
• Jetblue airways
• American airlines
• Iberia
• Swiss International Air Lines
• S7 Airlines
• Ethiopians airlines

As of July 2019, the El Al fleet, including Sun d'Or , has 45 aircraft. The average age of the park is 11.9 years. All aircraft are exclusively manufactured by Boeing . ^{[47] [48] [49]}

Fleet History

El Al Airlines previously used the following types of aircraft:

• Boeing 707
• Boeing 720
• Boeing 737-200
• Boeing 737-700
• Boeing 747-100
• Boeing 747-200
• Boeing 747-200F
• Boeing 747-400F
• Boeing 757-200
• Boeing 767-200
• Bristol britannia
• Curtiss C-46 Commando
• Douglas dc-3
• Douglas dc-4
• Lockheed constellation

On November 26, 2012 , after 25 years of operation, the last Boeing 757-200 was launched. The last Boeing 767-200ER was withdrawn from the airline fleet on September 22, 2013 , and on May 10, 2016 - the last Boeing 737-700 . ^[50] In June 2017, El Al began to withdraw Boeing 747-400 aircraft from its fleet.

Livery

Previously, airline livery included a turquoise / dark blue strip on the sides of the aircraft and a turquoise tail with the flag of Israel on top. The El Al logo was placed above the front windows on each side of the aircraft in a turquoise / khaki color scheme. ^[51]

The new livery has a blue strip with a thick silver border at the bottom, which crosses the side of the aircraft near the wing, disappears above the top of the plane and appears at the bottom of the tail. The El Al logo is part of the design, although it has changed a bit since then.

Most El Al aircraft are named after Israeli cities, such as Jerusalem , Tel Aviv , Beit Shemesh , Nazareth , Haifa and others. The larger the plane, the larger the city in terms of the population in whose honor it is named. The names of cities are located in the bow of the aircraft under the windows of the cockpit. ^[52]

One aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner , is painted in retro livery, which the airline used in the 1960s and 1970s . ^[53]

El Al cargo aircraft livery, in the past, was made in white, without the airline’s identification signs and without the Israeli flag, only with the Cargo inscription on the Fuselage . Subsequently, the new livery of cargo aircraft (including the current Boeing 747-400F ) remained in white, but with the name of the airline.

Bonus Program

Matmid is a frequent flyer bonus program. It was launched in 2004, after the abolition of previous bonus programs for El Al passengers. It has five levels: Matmid, Matmid Silver, Matmid Gold, Matmid Platinum and Matmid TOP Platinum. Miles accrued in the program give participants the right to bonus tickets, upgrades, discounts on car rental, hotel accommodations; in addition, miles can be exchanged for various goods and services. Miles are also accrued for flights with partner airlines, for booking rooms in partner hotels, and for purchases with credit cards. ^[54] Matmid Miles are available on most flights operated by South African Airways , Sun D'or , Qantas and Aeroméxico . ^[55] The program rules are such that unused miles are burned out after three years. To join the Matmid program, you must pay a one-time fee.

Lounge

The King David Lounge is El Al's own airport lounges, which serve premium airline passengers. These lounges are located at key locations for airlines, airports, Ben Gurion International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport , Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport , London Heathrow Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Angeles . ^[56] All King David lounges offer drinks, snacks, newspapers and magazines (Israeli and foreign), and some have free Wi-Fi. The lounge at Terminal 3 of Tel Aviv Ben-Gurion Airport is equipped with a telephone, shower and spa, as well as a separate area for first-class passengers. ^[57]

Service Classes

El Al Airlines offers the following classes of service:

• First class, on Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777-200ER aircraft in the configuration of seats 2-2.
• Business class on all aircraft. Seat configuration: Boeing 787 - 1-2-1, Boeing 777 and 747 - 2-3-2, Boeing 767 -2-2-2.
• Premium economy class on all wide-body aircraft.
• Economy class on all aircraft.

All Boeing 747 , 777 , 787 aircraft are equipped with personal monitors. On the Boeing 767 , where there are no personal monitors, and some 737 , access to entertainment content is possible from smartphones and tablets through a special application.

Most of the El Al aircraft incident related to Palestinian terrorism, especially between 1968 and 1990 . Despite these numerous attacks, there have not been a single human casualty among passengers on board an airline's aircraft since 1955 . ^[58]

Terror Attacks

• On July 23, 1968 , a Boeing 707-458C , flight number 4X-ATA, flying on route 426 from London to Tel Aviv via Rome , was captured by three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) shortly after takeoff from Rome-Fiumicino airport and sent to Algeria . The last hostages were released after 40 days. This case is the only successful hijacking of an El Al aircraft.
• On February 18, 1969 , a Boeing 720-058B aircraft, tail number 4X-ABB, flight 432, flying the Amsterdam - Tel Aviv route and making an intermediate landing, was attacked at Zurich Airport by PFLP members during taxiing. 9 people were injured, including the second pilot trainee, who died a month later from his injuries. As a result of a shootout with security officers on board the plane, one hijacker was killed, the rest were arrested and transferred to a Swiss court. ^[59]
• On September 6, 1970 , a Boeing 707-458C aircraft, tail number 4X-ATB, on flight 219 from Tel Aviv to New York with an intermediate landing in Amsterdam , an attempt was made to hijack members of the SFNF and SFNL Leyla Khaled and Patricio Arguello . This terrorist attack was one of a series of hijackings of aircraft at the Dawson Field , but thanks to the marshal on board the aircraft, it was foiled. The plane made an emergency landing at Heathrow Airport , where Arguello and Khaled were handed over to the British authorities. Arguello , who was injured, died on the way to the hospital. ^[60]
• On August 16, 1972 , a bomb exploded in the luggage compartment of Flight 444, shortly after taking off from Rome . The plane safely returned to Rome , no casualties were recorded. The bomb was hidden in the luggage of two British citizens who were planted by their Arab acquaintances.
• On January 13, 1975, several people, including international terrorist Carlos the Jackal , made an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the El Al airliner at Paris-Orly airport. On January 17 they again made an attempt, also to no avail. ^{[61] [62]}
• On December 27, 1985 , after several unsuccessful attempts to attack El Al planes, partisans of the Fatah Revolutionary Council attacked El Al and TWA airline ticket offices at Rome-Fiumicino and Vienna-Schwechat airports , killing 18 people.

• On April 18, 1986, a terrorist act was prevented ( Hindawi case ). A pregnant Irish woman named Anne-Marie Murphy was about to board her El Al flight at London Heathrow Airport , and three pounds of plastic explosives were found in her bag when inspected. She was planted by her fiancé, Nezar Hindawi , who was supposed to fly on another flight. Hindawi was jailed for 45 years, the longest sentence, with the exception of the life sentence ever imposed by a British court. ^[63] The investigation found that the Syrian intelligence agencies were involved in the attempted terrorist attack, and as a result, the United Kingdom broke off diplomatic relations with Syria . ^[64]

• On July 4, 2002, Hesham Mohamed Hadayet opened fire at the El Al ticket office at Los Angeles International Airport . Several people were injured, two were killed. The attacker himself was shot dead by the airline marshal. ^[65] Although Hadayet was not affiliated with any terrorist group, he, an Egyptian, held anti-Israeli views and was opposed to US policy in the Middle East . The Federal Bureau of Investigation classified the shooting as a terrorist attack, one of the few in the United States since the September 11, 2001 attacks .

• On November 17, 2002 , a Boeing 767-258 (ER) aircraft, tail number 4X-EBS, flight 581 from Tel Aviv to Istanbul , attempted to hijack a twenty-three-year-old Israeli Arab, Tawfik Fukra, allegedly armed with a pocket knife. Fukra tried to break into the cockpit to send the plane back to Israel and crash into the building. He was detained by security officers on board. ^{[66] [67]}

Aviation Incidents

• On November 24, 1951, a Douglas DC-4 aircraft, tail number 4X-ADN, crashed while landing at Zurich airport during a cargo flight from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam via Zurich . Six crew members were killed ^[68]

• On July 27, 1955, the Lockheed Constellation model, tail number 4X-AKC, flew on a 402 flight from Vienna to Tel Aviv . Due to bad weather conditions, which led to interference with navigation, the plane lost its course and invaded the airspace of Bulgaria , as a result it was shot down by fighters of the Bulgarian air force . The El Al plane exploded in the air, and all 58 people on board died. ^{[69] [70]}
• On October 4, 1992, the Boeing 747-258F cargo liner crashed , tail number 4X-AXG flying from New York to Tel Aviv via Amsterdam . The plane crashed into two high-rise apartment buildings (Kruitberg and Groeneveen) in a suburb of Amsterdam shortly after take-off and when trying to return to the airport. The crash was caused by the separation of both right-hand engines from the aircraft, as a result the liner capsized and crashed into a residential complex. Three crew members, one passenger in a folding seat and 39 people on the ground were lost. ^[71]

Haredim scandals

• On June 23, 2018, a scandal erupted. Ultra-religious Jews who are forbidden to sit next to women on the Torah have demanded that some passengers be transplanted. As a result, the plane took off an hour later than planned in the schedule ^[72] . This debauch caused the head of the Israeli corporation NICE Systems, Barack Eylam, called on his employees to boycott El Al companies. ^[73] In response to this, the airline decided to remove from the flight brawlers requiring transplantation of other passengers ^[74] .
• On November 16, 2018, a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews made a brawl aboard the Boeing 787 , which followed the New York - Tel Aviv flight, demanding to immediately land the plane in order to avoid Shabbat violation. Under pressure from brawlers, the plane had to land at Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Athens ^[75] .

• Arkia Israel Airlines
• Israir
• San dor
• The crash of a Boeing 747 in Amsterdam

• Official website of the airline