Flying the Unfriendly Skies: The Untold Story of EL AL's Wartime Resilience

EL AL customer-relations supervisor Ilanit Ninay-Lion recalled an emergency call in November 2023 after Yoni Asher’s family was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7 and taken to Gaza. With Hamas already killing his mother-in-law and with most airlines suspending Israel service while Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport faced rocket fire, Ninay-Lion’s team secured seats for Asher so he could reach Germany for a diplomatic mission aimed at freeing his family. After 49 days in captivity, the two girls and their mother were released in the first hostage group on Nov. 23. Ninay-Lion said EL AL focused on keeping the airline connected when operations were limited, including during Israel’s most recent Iran-related war, when 3,000 flights were canceled.