An El Al Israel Airlines flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) had to be delayed by nearly two hours earlier this week after ‘Free Palestine’ stickers were discovered on dozens of passengers’ checked-in luggage that was about to be loaded into the cargo hold.
El Al flight LY-6 was due to depart Los Angeles at 2 pm on February 16 for the 13-hour flight to Tel Aviv, but after the passengers had already boarded the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, they were told of an unexpected delay.
As the delay dragged on, the passengers were initially told that an issue with baggage was causing the hold up, but when people became increasingly frustrated and vocal about the delay, the Captain took the public address system to fully explain what was happening.
According to passenger accounts provided to Israeli news site Ynet, the Captain informed them that ‘Free Palestine’ stickers had been found on 140 checked bags as they were about to be loaded into the hold.
Given that El Al operates incredibly strict security arrangements wherever it flies, the airline wasn’t happy to fly with the bags until they had all been hand-searched for explosives or other contraband.
Security officers initially delayed the flight to carry out the search, but when they realized just how long this process was going to take, they decided to dispatch the flight and leave the bags behind while the search continued.
What security arrangements does El Al enforce?
El Al’s security arrangements at the global destinations it flies to are overseen by Israel’s Shin Bet security service. Shin Bet will carry out a risk assessment in each destination and decide what security measures are required.
This typically involves having plainclothes officers on duty in the main departures concourse who will interview passengers before they even get to the check-in desk.
Some passengers will be pulled aside for further questioning in private, their bags searched, and their personal devices interrogated before they are allowed to check in.
These officers will then be at the departure gate, carrying out further checks and searches over and above what the TSA requires.
Does El Al have any control over passenger baggage after check-in?
The Shin Bet sometimes demands that the host country provide additional security over and above what any other airline would be afforded. This can range from bulletproof check-in counters to police escorts of Israeli planes from the gate to the runway.
But securing checked luggage from the moment it passes from the check-in counter through the aircraft is a different matter altogether, and it’s feasible that an airport ground worker was able to access an area where the bags were transiting through to place the stickers on them.
Are airports happy providing so much additional security?
Generally, most host countries fully understand why El Al and the Shin Bet put these additional security measures in place, although there can occasionally be diplomatic upsets.
In 2022, the authorities in Dubai had a disagreement with Shin Bet over the security protocols it was demanding. Like in many other destinations, Shin Bet wanted plain clothes officers stationed at Dubai International Airport (DXB), but local officials argued that this plan interfered with the emirates sovreignty.
Interestingly, El Al flights to neighboring Abu Dhabi weren’t in threat because officials there didn’t have any issue with Shin Bet’s security officers working in the emirate.
In the end, the two sides came to an agreement although the exact details were never revealed.
