El Al completed its first return mission from Larnaca to Israel this morning, piloted by Captain Nechama Spiegel, a chareidi woman from Beit Shemesh.
The flight touched down in Israel as part of a broader effort by the Ministry of Transportation to bring home Israeli citizens who were left overseas after commercial air travel was halted due to Operation Rising Lion.
Captain Spiegel, a trailblazer as El Al’s first chareidi female pilot and a mother of seven, carried out the flight as part of a government-authorized repatriation initiative. According to an official statement by the airline, all passengers were assigned their seats in advance at no additional charge.
El Al had announced on Tuesday that it would begin operating emergency return flights from several European cities including Larnaca, Athens, Rome, Milan, and Paris. The company clarified that “the flights will be carried out gradually, subject to state approvals” and that eligible passengers would receive direct notifications from El Al.
These special flights are available to individuals who hold valid El Al or Sun d’Or tickets to Israel and had their original flights canceled. The order of priority for boarding is determined by the date of the canceled flight, with special consideration given to urgent medical or humanitarian cases. The airline also advised travelers still abroad to secure lodging and reminded them that they may be entitled to compensation under existing legal guidelines.
{Matzav.com Israel}