Overview
Established in 1948, El Al Israel Airlines is actually Israel’s national airline. With its main hub located at Ben Gurion International Airport, the airline operates from its headquarters based in Lod, Israel. Its frequent flyer program is Matmid, with King David Lounge for its member lounge. The airline also has Sun D’Or as a subsidiary.
The airline’s fleet size is not too big, with just approximately 37 aircrafts flying out to a little over 40 destinations. The airline operates in accordance with its company slogan. The literal meaning of this slogan is “The most at home in the world”. Translated, it would mean “Home away from home”. For English speaking countries, the slogan would be, “It’s not just an airline; it’s Israel.”
Company Profile
Being Israel’s national carrier, the airline operates international flights – both passenger and cargo. These flights are between its main operating hub at Ben Gurion International Airport and the airline’s several destinations reaching Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and even South America. El Al Israel Airlines also has domestic connections to Eilat.
Since its first launched flight just from Geneva to Tel Aviv, the airline has expanded its flights to 48 destinations in 4 continents. The airline has also participated in humanitarian rescue efforts when it comes to airlifting people from Yemen, Ethiopia, and other countries caught in turmoil. El Al Israel Airlines is also acknowledged as being the most secure airline ever – supported by foiled attempted terrorist attacks and hijackings – due to its extremely extensive security protocols.
El Al Israel Airlines Today
As of 2007, the airline has over 5,400 people under its employ. As of 2005, the airline has already transported approximately 3.5 million passengers – a significant increase following the 3.2 million passengers in 2004 and just 2.8 million back in 2003.
The airline invests a lot in its stringent security protocols – both onboard their aircrafts and on the ground. These somewhat controversial yet extremely effective security protocols have earned the airline quite the reputation for being one of the most secure airlines.
El Al Israel Airlines Fleet and Destinations
At present, the airline’s fleet is comprised of Boeing aircraft models. These include 737-700, 737-800, 747-200F, 747-400, 757-200, 767-200ER, 767-300ER, and 777-200ER.
El Al Israel Airlines flies to the following continents and regions:
- Africa: Egypt and South Africa
- Asia: Kazakhstan, China, South Korea, India, Thailand, and Israel
- Europe: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, and United Kingdom
- North America: Canada and United States (New York City, Los Angeles, and Newark
- South America: Brazil
