El Al responded: "El Al views the incident that took place last night, in which a French air traffic controller addressed one of its pilots in an unprofessional and inappropriate manner, with the utmost seriousness. We are addressing the matter with Israeli authorities, who are in contact with their French counterparts."

"El Al will continue flying around the world with the Israeli flag on its aircraft tails with pride, while upholding professionalism and ensuring the safety and security of its passengers and crews,", the airline added.

The incident follows another antisemitic attack in Paris last week, when a disturbing scene was discovered outside the Israeli airline's offices: the office sign had been vandalized with hate-filled graffiti, including the phrase "EL AL GENOCIDE AIRLINE," red paint had been splashed on the walls and door, and pro-Palestinian graffiti had been sprayed on the wall. The employees had not yet arrived at the office at the time.

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Humanitarian passengers and medical emergencies receive priority. Original flight dates determine passenger precedence.

Flight notifications come with a 12-hour to one-day warning when possible. The company maintains its Sabbath flight prohibition despite the emergency circumstances.

Israeli citizens receive evacuation priority – those stranded domestically seeking departure must await completion of the current evacuation phase before outbound flight arrangements proceed.

Arkia operates two Thursday evacuation flights exclusively – departing Athens and Larnaca. These restricted flights serve designated Arkia customer groups and pre-authorized humanitarian cases. Ticket purchases remain unavailable for these services.

Evacuation operations continue with El Al scheduling eight Thursday flights from Cyprus, Budapest, Athens, Milan, Rome, and London (Luton). Eshet Tours provides Burgas-to-Aqaba evacuation services with subsequent Israel connections. Tus Airways initiated evacuation services from Larnaca and Burgas to Aqaba.

Wednesday's initial evacuation flights marked the beginning of the Israeli repatriation mission. Aviation Links schedules Larnaca-to-Aqaba flights for June 19, 20, 22, and 23.

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The lawsuit reveals a stark transformation in EL AL's financial performance during wartime. Attorney Ilan Vardnikov, representing passengers through Pearl Cohen law firm alongside Dr. Tal Rotman and Adi Tzitron, documented how the airline's 2024 net profits exploded to $554 million – potentially reaching $771 million after accounting adjustments – compared to just $113 million in 2023. This represents EL AL's highest earnings in over 15 years, surpassing the company's cumulative profits from the decade and a half preceding the current conflict.

"Unfortunately, EL AL was not satisfied with the enormous profits it generated from the state of emergency and war legally, and chose also, deliberately and knowingly, to abuse its monopolistic power and harm consumer freedom of contract by inflating flight prices to levels that were customary on most flight routes before the outbreak of war," the petition states.

The legal challenge exposes how market dynamics shifted dramatically following October 7, 2023, when foreign carriers abandoned Israeli routes en masse. Regular international airlines, including budget carriers, immediately suspended operations to Israel, while American and European airlines maintained only minimal service throughout 2024, according to industry reports cited in the lawsuit. This exodus created unprecedented market concentration, with EL AL achieving monopolistic control over 20 of 24 examined flight routes, sometimes commanding market shares exceeding 50%.

"Most regular foreign airlines, including low-cost companies, immediately stopped flying to Israel...during 2024, regular American and European airlines operated in Israel at low frequency," EL AL reports state. Israir also reported that "many flights by foreign companies to and from Israel were canceled until further notice. This fact significantly reduced competition in passenger transport to Israel during the war period."

"Demand for EL AL flights throughout 2024 was significantly increased... and sometimes even beyond the demand that El Al experienced routinely during peak periods," according to the carrier's reports quoted in the petition.

Extraordinary profit margins amid falling costs

Professor Gilo's economic analysis reveals the most damaging evidence against EL AL's pricing strategy. Despite the airline's claims of wartime pressures, operational costs actually declined by 3% in 2024 compared to 2023, and dropped 11% compared to 2022 levels. Meanwhile, average ticket prices surged by tens of percentage points across multiple routes, generating profit margins per passenger kilometer that increased 15-fold compared to pre-war levels.

"There was no increase in EL AL's costs justifying the increase in flight prices. On the contrary, costs decreased in 2024 by 3% compared to 2023 and by 11% compared to 2022," Professor Gilo concluded in his expert opinion. "Surplus revenues rolled directly to the profit line."

The financial data presents a striking picture of wartime profiteering. Net profit margins per customer flight kilometer reached 28.5% during the first three quarters of 2024, representing a 180% increase compared to the year preceding the conflict. After accounting for an exceptional $103 million employee bonus distribution, EL AL's overall profit rate hit 35%.

International comparisons further underscore the excessive nature of EL AL's pricing strategy. While global flight prices declined according to IATA (International Air Transport Association) data, EL AL increased prices by 14.3% on average during 2024, reaching 16.9% in early quarters. Among ten foreign airlines examined for comparison, only three implemented price increases, and at significantly more modest rates.

EL AL's profit performance dramatically outpaced industry standards, achieving a 29.5% profit rate per customer flight kilometer, 4.8 times the average among foreign competitors (6.1%). The airline's return on active capital reached 37.8%, quadruple the normal industry benchmark and EL AL's own weighted cost of capital.

The petition emphasizes how EL AL's pricing strategy served no legitimate economic purpose beyond profit maximization. "The flight price increase was not required to increase output or for any other justified purpose, and could not bridge the gap between demand for flights and the depleted supply. Price gouging contributed nothing to consumers, and did not benefit them or the Israeli economy," Vardnikov argued.

Regulatory limitations expose enforcement gaps

Current regulatory responses highlight significant enforcement limitations within Israel's competition framework. Both the Competition Authority and the Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority initiated investigations into EL AL's wartime pricing practices, but lack sufficient legal mechanisms to compel profit restitution to affected passengers. Administrative remedies are limited to fines or financial penalties that may prove inadequate deterrents against future market abuse.

"Compensating EL AL customers is just, fair, and required, and without it there cannot be future deterrence against abuse of monopolistic market power during wartime, distress, and national crisis," the petition argues, positioning judicial intervention as the primary avenue for meaningful consumer relief.

EL AL's official response maintains legal compliance throughout the disputed period. "The petition for approval of the class action lawsuit has not yet been received by the company. After it is received, the company will study the petition and submit its response to the court as required. It should be clarified that the company acted and acts by the law, including regarding flight prices," the airline stated.

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Video: Greta Thunberg on a plane taking her from Israel / Credit: Usage under Israel's Intellectual Property Law Article 27a

The rest of the 12 activists did not sign a waiver that allows their immediate deportation, relinquishing their right to appear before a custody court judge. Thunberg was joined by French parliamentarian Rima Hassan and three others.

The eight who refused to sign were to remain in custody at a detention center for 96 hours, pending deportation.

Video: Greta Thunberg on a plane taking her from Israel / Credit: Usage under Israel's Intellectual Property Law Article 27a

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel declared, "Israel will not tolerate challenges to its sovereignty through provocative flotilla actions at its borders. I commend the Population and Immigration Authority for their prompt, professional efforts to safeguard national security and maintain public order. I have directed that all 12 participants be prohibited from entering Israel, per legal guidelines, and returned to their home countries."

Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France). pic.twitter.com/kWrI9KVoqX

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 10, 2025

The flotilla, which drew widespread attention, was stopped 110 miles from Gaza's shores. Authorities towed the ship to Ashdod port, transferring some activists to Ben Gurion International Airport and others to detention facilities.

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The move marks a significant shift from current practices and has sparked frustration among many travelers. "We bought our tickets under certain terms, and now the airline suddenly changes the rules," one passenger told Israel Hayom. "It was really upsetting and frustrating to receive the message. It feels like the airline is doing whatever it wants because of the current situation. They're making unilateral changes as they please and mistreating captive customers."

Another traveler commented, "This is a deterioration in the passengers' conditions. Day by day, the terms are getting worse, and not in our favor."

Despite the restriction, members of El Al's Matmid frequent flyer program with Silver status or higher will still be permitted to bring their hand luggage into the cabin, although even they will be subject to overhead bin space availability.

El Al issued a response stating: "The policy update is intended to streamline the process of handing over hand luggage in advance and ensure that the flight departs on time and with maximum comfort. We stress that there has been no change to the ticket price. For more information, passengers can consult the full baggage policy on the El Al website."

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"With these privacy screens, you'll no longer be able to see what's playing on someone else's seat back entertainment system. While EL AL already has a parental control feature on its planes, this is intended to take that to the next level," the site One Mile At A Time said on its website.

According to One Mile At A Time, the implementation of these individual screens has secured Federal Aviation Administration approval and is scheduled to begin in the upcoming months.

"But that's not the only use for this. Even in economy, you'll no longer be able to see what's on the screen of the person next to you. This will even help passengers get rest – even if your seat mate uses their entertainment system, this should decrease light pollution from their screen," the site said.  "This is supposed to serve a variety of purposes, from preventing children from seeing more 'mature' content, to limiting light pollution for those who are trying to sleep. This is a pretty cool update, so hopefully this works as well as it's intended to."

The enhancement aligns with an industry-wide trend of upgrading in-flight entertainment systems, with various carriers now implementing features such as Bluetooth headphone compatibility for personal entertainment units. Some airlines have expanded their offerings to include live streaming of news and sporting events.

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Until the onset of the war, three US airlines operated in Israel. During the conflict, two briefly resumed operations - only to suspended them later. At present, no US airline is offering direct flights to Israel.

The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has now been in place for over a month, with the northern border remaining quiet. While several airlines have announced plans to resume service to Israel, American carriers are yet to follow suit. Discussions with industry insiders suggest that a partial return may happen around the summer schedule for some US airlines, albeit with lower frequency compared to pre-war operations.

At this time, no definitive announcements have been made regarding the return of any US airline in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, several European carriers, including Lufthansa, ITA Airways, Swiss, and others, have already resumed flights to Israel, offering connection options to the US via Europe.

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A delegation of Israeli Transportation Ministry and Civil Aviation Authority officials is currently holding meetings in Washington with senior US airline executives and aviation regulators to facilitate the return of American carriers to Israel. Civil Aviation Authority Director General Shmuel Zakai is leading the discussions.

The Israeli officials have expressed optimism that two US airlines could resume service before Passover, citing successful and constructive meetings with their American counterparts. The round of talks is set to continue Thursday, as officials work to expedite the restoration of US carrier service to Israel.

One of the primary challenges facing American airlines is fleet allocation for Israeli routes, though officials involved in the negotiations describe this as a manageable issue that could be resolved within weeks to months. Senior sources close to the discussions indicate that resuming operations before Passover is a realistic timeline. Currently, El Al remains the sole carrier operating direct flights between Israel and the United States, with limited alternative routing options available through intermediate destinations.

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El Al Airlines disclosed its third-quarter financial results for 2024 on Wednesday morning, announcing a profit of $187 million. The carrier reported aircraft occupancy rates of 94%, with ticket prices showing a 16% increase compared to the corresponding quarter in 2023.

At a press briefing, El Al's chief executive presented a comprehensive breakdown of minimum and maximum fares for the airline's basic economy class tickets across its global network. The disclosure demonstrated the company's commitment to maintaining price ceilings across all routes.

For Mediterranean destinations, including Athens, Larnaca, Paphos, and other cities, fares range from $150 to $469. Eastern European routes, serving Bucharest, Prague, Budapest, and additional cities, are priced between $158 and $637 per passenger. Western European destinations (Rome, Munich, Barcelona, and others) command premium rates, ranging from $259 to $659 per passenger. The carrier's classic European routes (Paris, London, and others) are priced from $353 to $880.

Long-haul routes to Far East destinations including Bangkok, Tokyo, and Phuket start at $770 per passenger, with a ceiling of $1,689. North American routes, currently serving various US cities, range from $799 to $1,900 per passenger, according to El Al CEO Dina Ben-Tal Ganancia.

The pricing structure remains valid through February 2025, reflecting the most current rates available on El Al's website at the time of publication.

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In a significant development for US-Israel air travel, Israel's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has initiated talks with US regulators to enable Israir Airlines to operate direct flights to New York. The airline is simultaneously exploring options to wet-lease two wide-body aircraft for these operations, though the approval process could take several months. The carrier aims to launch direct service between Tel Aviv and Newark during the upcoming winter season.

The airline faces several hurdles before finalizing these plans. The lease agreement remains unsigned, and multiple complex conditions must be satisfied, including securing necessary US regulatory approvals and addressing challenges related to Israel's aviation services law regarding Israir's proposed expansion.

Under the proposed wet-lease structure, Israir would utilize aircraft and crews from a foreign carrier while operating flights under its own designation. Though negotiations continue, Israel's Transportation Ministry has granted preliminary approval from the Israeli perspective, marking an initial step in the complex process of establishing direct US routes.

The CAA has commenced discussions with US authorities to secure necessary approvals – a process that typically spans three months under normal circumstances. Officials are working to expedite these procedures, seeking rapid clearance for security requirements, landing slots, and other essential permits. This represents the beginning of an intricate process requiring multiple regulatory approvals and successful lease negotiations, suggesting a potentially extended timeline before implementation.

In the current landscape, El Al is the sole carrier maintaining direct New York service following the withdrawal of US airlines from the Israeli market. American Airlines suspended its Israel routes through September 2025, while United Airlines indefinitely halted services, and Delta suspended operations through March 2025.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev endorsed the initiative: "I thank the CAA for their thorough work that enables significant relief in the flight crisis created due to the war. Israeli companies are demonstrating national responsibility in their mobilization during this challenging period. I commend Rami Levy and Israir Airlines for their initiative to operate a New York route, a step that will contribute to healthy competition, expanded options for the public, and lower flight prices."

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