EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION

http://www.elal.com/en/PassengersInfo/Useful-Info/SpecialNeeds-Passenger/Pages/SpecialNeeds.aspx

EL AL aims to assist each of its passengers with special needs, and does its utmost to make the flight experience pleasant for them. Following is important information and several suggestions. If you have additional questions, please contact your travel agent or call us directly at least 48 hours before your flight and we will be happy to assist you.

  • Via the DOT Disability Hotline for calls within the United States: 1-800-778-4838 or 1-800-455-9880 (TTY)
  • By telephone to the Aviation Consumer Protection Division: 1-202-366-2220 (voice) or 1-202-366-0511(TTY)
  • By Mail:
    Air Consumer Protection DivisionC-75
    US Department of Transportation
    1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
    West Building, Room W96-432
    Washington, DC 20590
  • On the Aviation Consumer Protection Division's web site: http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer

EL AL is pleased to carry passengers with special needs, even when they are traveling alone. At the same time, if an unaccompanied passenger is unable to tend to him/herself due to severe mobility limitations in the event of an emergency evacuation, the airline is entitled to restrict his/her transport and to impose a number of requirements

For your convenience we have prepared a checklist to help you ensure that you’ve made all of the important preparations for the flight:

  • I consulted with a physician before reserving the flight
  • If my mobility limitations are a result of current medical conditions, I have obtained a health clearance document
  • When booking my flight I informed my travel agent or EL AL of my mobility limitations and specified my special needs, including special dietary needs and special accessories (such as a wheelchair, a Seeing Eye dog, etc.).If I was injured after making the reservation, I informed the travel agent or EL AL at least 48 hours before the flight date of the special needs that arose due to my injury. If as a result of my injury I require a wheelchair, I specified the type, size and weight of wheelchair I am using, and whether I will need wheelchair assistance during the flight
  • I have with me a prescription or authorization for my medications
  • I checked out which medical equipment and medical options are available on the plane
  • When purchasing my flight ticket, I inquired about service offered to passengers with limited mobility at the departure and arrival airports
  • I will arrive at the airport well in advance. At Tel Aviv a good time to arrive at the airport is 3 hours before departure time
  • I clarified the best time to arrive at the airport for my return flight, to receive the assistance that I need

Tell us your special needs

When you book a flight you can help us ensure that you receive the service you need at the airport and on the plane. With advance information from you we can make you as comfortable as possible at the airport and on the plane. If you are reserving by telephone, please inform us of every possible need before completing the reservation.

If you reserve your flight through our website, please contact us after completing the reservation at Tel. 03-9771111 so that we can make the appropriate preparations. We regret that this information cannot be included in the electronic reservation.
We would like to know whether your problem is chronic or temporary, so that we can assist you on your future flights with us.

The earlier you book your flight and the more specific your information, the better we can prepare for your flight with us. We are here to be of assistance to you, to make your flight safe, comfortable and enjoyable.

Reserving a flight for passengers using wheelchairs

EL AL does not charge a fee for supplying a wheelchair or for transporting your wheelchair in the aircraft hold. When making your reservation, please inform us if you will need a wheelchair at the airport and on the plane, for your departure flight and for your return flight.

If you are taking your wheelchair with you, we will take it from you at the entrance to the plane and return it to you after landing, as explained below. Please let us know the size, weight and any other special information about the chair. If the wheelchair is battery-operated, please check the type of battery and let us know when booking your flight. Please let us know at least 48 hours before the flight about essential mobility accessories, such as an electric wheelchair.

Passengers traveling with Dry/Gel battery-powered wheelchairs or other similar mobility aids, where the batteries are designed to be removed, must bring a strong, rigid packaging for the removed batteries which will be carried in the cargo compartment;

Additional accessories

EL AL enables passengers to carry on board with them crutches, a cane, a collapsible walker or a white cane (for the blind) as long as these aids can be safely stored in the designated storage bins. No fee is charged for these items.

After arrival at destination

After landing at your destination, your wheelchair will be returned to you at the aircraft door. If the airport is experiencing backups when the plane lands you may have to wait for the wheelchair to be retrieved. We thank you for your understanding; please be aware that we are doing everything we can to get the chair to you as quickly as possible.

Blind or vision impaired passengers

If you are blind or visually impaired, we suggest that you contact EL AL Reservations before your flight, so that we can ensure that you receive the service you require. If you are unable to contact us in advance, we will be pleased to assist you at the airport and on the plane.

Please introduce yourself to a representative of the ground crew when you arrive at the airport or to the air crew when boarding the plane so that we can offer you the best possible service.

We can help you by escorting you to and from the plane and within the airport; with a personal briefing about safety procedures on the plane; identifying the dishes on your meal tray and duty free products; and providing information about your flight.

You may also bring a Seeing Eye dog with you, at no cost. If you would like to take advantage of this service, please notify us in advance.

Deaf or Hard of Hearing Passengers

If you have a hearing disability or Deafness, we suggest you contact EL AL Reservations by email, before your flight, so that we can assure that you receive the service you require. 

If you are unable to contact us in advance, we will be pleased to assist you at the airport and on the plane. Please introduce yourself to a representative of the ground crew when you arrive at the airport or to the air crew when boarding the plane so that we can offer you the best possible service.

We will gladly assist you with a personal briefing about safety procedures on the plane and other information about your flight. The safety films on the flights are accompanied by Hebrew, English, Russian and Arabic titles.

Likewise, you may bring a guide dog with you at no cost. If you would like to take advantage of this service, please notify us in advance

Inflight service

Different airports have different ways of transporting passengers with limited mobility. So you should be prepared to switch wheelchairs on your own on the way to the plane.

When you reach the aircraft, our air crew will be prepared to welcome you and assist you.

The air crew will assist you in boarding and disembarking from the plane.
We’ll help you store your hand luggage.
We’ll help you to and from the lavatory during the flight.
We’ll help you open and identify the food packages/dishes on your meal tray.
We’ll help you identify duty free products.
We’ll assist with transmitting information.

If you are undecided about whether or not to fly with an escort, please take into account that, unfortunately, we cannot help you within the lavatory, transfer you between the toilet and your wheelchair, feed you or oversee your medications, supply special medicines or assist you in taking your medicines.


Regulations on the Plane:

Narrow Wheelchair

Most aircrafts are equipped with a narrow wheelchair for use by passengers with limited mobility.
Please verify the availability of a narrow wheelchair on the plane when making your reservation.

Lavatories for passengers with limited mobility - Most EL AL aircraft are equipped with lavatories for Passengers With Disabilities.

Passengers departing from Ben-Gurion Airport

Passengers with special needs are requested to arrive at check-in counters 98-99 of our special unit in Section D, after completing the security check-in.
At check-in counters 98-99, passengers will complete the flight check-in and will then be accompanied by the special unit’s attendants. Wheelchairs are located near these counters for passenger convenience. Buggy transport to the boarding gateway will be provided after Passport Control.
Our special unit will also be happy to help passengers requiring medical transport: arrival by ambulance and also flight on a stretcher.

Passengers arriving with electrical medical equipment to the flight, please fill in the attached commitment letter.


For further details please contact the Direct Sales Center at *2250/03-9771111, extension 5, or your travel agent. Deals including packages can be purchased only through travel agencies.

Passengers Arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport:
Passengers with special needs should wait in their seats on the plane until a ground crew escort arrives.
The escort will wait for the passengers at the entrance to the plane – information about passengers on board will be sent by telegram from the departing flight station.
Passengers will be transferred by special vehicle to the Border Control point. At this point, passengers should wait for continued service to accompany them through Border Control to the luggage retrieval area and then to the arrivals hall.
Passengers requiring a wheelchair from this service point are requested to inform the passenger escorts.

For further details please contact the Direct Sales Center at *2250/03-9771111, extension 5, or your travel agent. Deals including packages can be purchased only through travel agencies.