EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES ENABLES WORLD’S FIRST TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHTFOR PARTIAL ARTIFICIAL HEART RECIPIENT

Eases Travel Experience for all Medical Tourists
New York, NY – July 22, 2009 – EL AL, Israel’s national airline, recently carried a recipient of a partial artificial heart on a trans-Atlantic flight, the first time this feat has ever been reported possible due to the special necessary technical requirements.

Seventy-one year-old Israeli Gershon Gefen wanted to visit his daughter in the U.S.A. after fully recovering from his heart device implantation procedure last year. Gefen turned to many airlines to assist with his challenging transport and was repeatedly refused. So EL AL, with the assistance of the airline’s chief electronics officer, provided Gefen with a device to connect his heart to an in-flight power line which resulted in a successful test run. Gefen returned to Israel following a wonderful three-week visit to the U.S.A. and praised EL AL saying, “Without the help of EL AL, I would never have gotten off the ground.”

To better accommodate EL AL passengers traveling to Israel for special medical treatment at the internationally respected Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, the airline has partnered with S.P.A. Travel which provides special services to ensure maximum comfort and convenience. As the trend of traveling abroad for more affordable yet high quality healthcare in international medical facilities increases, this is another unique service option EL AL is offering.

Travelers seeking more information can contact the EL AL Medical Desk at 1-800-223-6700. Specially trained EL AL representatives work with passengers to minimize the stress of travelling to Israel to fulfill their medical requirements.

EL AL has also signed an agreement with the DMZ Medical Center at the Dead Sea, a medical spa skin care center run by dermatologists which specializes in natural treatments for a variety of skin disorders as well as arthritis. To find out more about an attractively priced Dead Sea package,
please visit www.elal.com or call 1-800-EL AL SUN.

From the U.S.A., EL AL utilizes state-of-the-art Boeing 777 and 747-400 aircraft on all nonstop routes. Every seat is equipped with a new sophisticated digital entertainment system and a wide selection of in-flight entertainment is offered. Electrical outlets for laptops are available in all classes of service on every state-of-the-art 777 aircraft and soon on every 747-400. Freshly prepared healthy meals are served to all passengers.
BFor more information on medical travel to Israel on EL AL, passengers should contact the airline at (800) 223-6700 or any travel agent or visit www.elal.com.

About EL AL
Celebrating more than 60 years of service, EL AL, Israel's national airline, offers the most nonstop flights between New York (JFK/Newark) and Israel as well as the only nonstop service from Los Angeles. Worldwide, EL AL flies to more than 40 destinations from Israel and serves dozens of other destinations throughout the world via partnerships with many other carriers (including 22 additional cities in the U.S.A.). Only EL AL has First Class service on nonstop flights between the U.S.A. and Israel. The airline has annual revenues of about $1.93 billion and carries more than 1.8 million passengers every year.
EL AL embodies Israel’s values of innovation and caring and the promise of a genuine Israeli welcome. Your Israel experience begins with EL AL and warm Israeli hospitality. Israeli flight attendants will make you feel at home, the best trained Israeli pilots will take you to and from Israel and passengers enjoy enhanced in-flight dining with freshly prepared healthy meals.

EL AL. It’s not just an airline. It’s Israel.