Do non-Israeli airlines flying to Israel adopt the same security measures? [duplicate]

Do non-Israeli airlines flying to Israel adopt the same security measures? [duplicate] - Green and Gray Airport

Sorry if this question might seem suspicious - as a frequent traveler to Israel it's simply something I've always wondered about.

El Al has some well-known extra security methods for all flights to Israel, including operating their own additional baggage screening system, air marshals, etc. I believe Arkia and Israir do the same and that the Israeli government supplies the budget.

Are foreign airlines flying to Israel (Lufthansa, BA, etc) forced to also use these methods and screen passengers? Strangely although I've flown with foreign carriers and El Al many times I can't recollect how the experience differed - and would have no way of knowing about additional baggage screening.

If anybody has any information it would be nice to have my curiosity satisfied!



Best Answer

For flights INTO Israel, it is only Israeli airlines (in particular, El-Al) that receive the "extreme" level of security that you are referring to.

However, other airlines flying into Israel are forced to meet a certain level of security for such flights - but it is not as extreme as is seen on the Israeli airlines.

The additional security carried out varies, but I have personally experienced everything from simple swab-based explosives checks on all carry-on bags, to being scanned with a portable metal detector, carry-on bags being re-X-rayed at the gate, pat-downs, and basic security interviews.

I've even had flights where there was no additional security checks carried out when flying from Turkey to Israel, however this seems to have been due to political contention between the two countries, and on my last few flights on that route additional checks have been re-introduced.

When DEPARTING Israel, all security is carried out by the Israel government and meets similar criteria as those carried out by El Al for flights into Israel.

There is no official statement on why El Al flights get this additional security, however the general belief is that it's because an attack on an Israeli airline, or on any flight departing Israel, would likely be seen as an attack against Israel, whilst an attack on a foreign airline departing a foreign airport would not be.




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