NIS 2.5 million class action lawsuit filed against El Al for failing to automatically reassign passengers to emergency flights at no cost, leaving customers stranded and forced to repurchase tickets.
A class action lawsuit totaling more than NIS 2.5 million was filed Sunday morning with the Central District Court in Lod against El Al, claiming the airline failed to uphold its commitment to automatically and at no cost reassign passengers to emergency flights following the cancellation of scheduled flights due to airspace closures.
The lawsuit was filed by attorney Ori Shprach, who seeks to represent all customers whose flights were cancelled beginning June 13, 2025. According to Shprach, despite registering for a rescue flight, he was forced to purchase a new ticket—for $2,411—after El Al allegedly opened ticket sales to the general public in contradiction to its stated policy.
Filed by attorneys Aharon Topfer and Gal Rosenfeld, the complaint asserts that El Al repeatedly assured customers that rebooking for cancelled flights would be conducted “automatically and at no additional cost.” However, in practice, while thousands of passengers were still awaiting reassignment, the airline began offering tickets for sale to the broader public—leaving its original customers grounded.
The lawsuit further alleges that when the plaintiff attempted to reach El Al’s customer service, he waited for hours without receiving any assistance. He claims he was ultimately informed that unless he immediately purchased a new ticket at an emergency rate, his return to Israel would be indefinitely delayed.
The plaintiffs contend that tens of thousands of passengers who registered for emergency flights were harmed by the airline’s conduct. “Members of the group were left stranded abroad, forced to pay again, and effectively lost the right that had been promised to them in advance,” the suit states.
The claim concludes by asserting that El Al’s actions “severely undermined the autonomy and consumer rights of its passengers,” and calls on the court to order appropriate compensation.
El Al responded: “The company will review the request upon its receipt and will respond accordingly to the court.”
