El Al MILITARY

Target: El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. Domain: Military - Defence, Military and Military-Adjacent Supply Chains Research cut-off: 25 October 2026 Evidence period: 2023–2026, with relevant earlier corporate context.

Direct Defence Contracting & Procurement

Corporate operations and military-service relationships

El Al’s 2025 annual report identifies the company as an operator of scheduled passenger services and dedicated and passenger-aircraft cargo operations, including international airfreight transportation.¹

On 12 October 2023, El Al announced special flights from New York and Bangkok to return Israeli military reservists and rescue personnel to Israel following emergency mobilisation, with eligible reservists travelling without charge.²

In February 2024, the company announced complimentary European-destination tickets for IDF personnel serving in compulsory, permanent or reserve capacities, subject to specified service requirements and airport taxes.³

In a statement published on 26 December 2024, El Al reported distributing more than 20,000 complimentary tickets to active-duty and reserve personnel since October 2023 and announced a further programme awarding frequent-flyer points based on qualifying reserve service.⁴

The airline’s 2024 financial disclosures independently record the December 2024 “Missed Moments” programme, under which eligible reservists accrued 100 frequent-flyer points for each qualifying reserve-service day counted from 7 October 2023.⁵

El Al’s 2025 annual report records continued preferential ticketing, baggage and seating benefits for military reservists and combat soldiers during 2025.¹

Corporate acknowledgement of military-related cargo

El Al’s January 2024 Atmosphere magazine confirms that two Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft flew from New York to Israel at the beginning of the war carrying more than 30 tonnes of medical and humanitarian equipment, including supplies and protective equipment for Israeli soldiers.⁶

The company identified oxygen masks, bandaging materials, intravenous equipment and protective gear among the goods transported, with equipment loaded into aircraft holds and passenger seating areas.⁶

El Al described the cargo as containing medical supplies worth millions of dollars and identified donors including Israel Friends US.⁶

The same publication confirms that a further Dreamliner arrived from New York in November 2023 carrying medical and protective equipment for IDF soldiers and supplies for displaced civilian families.⁶

El Al identified itself, the Phoenix Group and the Amudim organisation as participants financing that additional operation and described the supplies as worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.⁶

The company listed first-aid kits, tourniquets, stretchers, protective equipment and thermal clothing among the goods transported in November.⁶

Its magazine separately described a special New York cargo flight carrying essential medical and tactical equipment for IDF soldiers donated by Amudim and the Phoenix Group in cooperation with El Al.⁷

Contemporary reporting published on 23 October 2023 identified two completed flights carrying more than 30 tonnes from New York and a further planned shipment involving the Phoenix Group, Amudim and El Al.⁸

The 23 October report described that additional movement prospectively, while El Al’s January 2024 publication subsequently confirmed a November shipment; the exact relationship between the announced departure and the reported November arrival is not independently established.^{6, 8}

The more-than-30-tonne quantity belongs to the two earlier Boeing 787 flights collectively, while the company described the separate November shipment without assigning it an exact total weight.⁶

State-security agreements

El Al’s 2025 annual report documents agreements with the Israeli state concerning aviation-security services and government financial participation, including a March 2025 amendment covering 2025–2031.¹

The report identifies the Israel Security Agency as an authority responsible for overseas Israeli civil-aviation security arrangements and states that El Al has historically supplied aviation-security services for flights of Israeli airlines arriving in Israel.¹

The March 2025 arrangement specifies a 95% state contribution to qualifying aviation-security expenditure for 2025 and 94% for 2026, followed by further scheduled reductions.¹

The agreements concern civil-aviation security and related financing and do not identify a weapons-manufacturing contract or IDF equipment-procurement award.¹

Government military airlift context

The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on 27 May 2025 that its military supply operation had transported more than 90,000 tonnes of equipment through 800 flights and approximately 140 maritime shipments since October 2023.⁹

A subsequent announcement dated 19 June 2025 described continued military-equipment airlift operations coordinated by the Ministry of Defense and IDF, without identifying El Al as the operator of a specified number of those flights.¹⁰

A Ministry of Defense announcement of 26 March 2026 described a further military airlift operation involving more than 200 aircraft and ships and approximately 8,000 tonnes of equipment, without establishing El Al-specific volumes.¹¹

Tender awards, procurement frameworks and defence registers

No public evidence identified of a separately published Israeli Ministry of Defense or IDF procurement tender awarded to El Al for weapons manufacture, tactical equipment production or defence-system integration.

No public evidence identified of an El Al entry in an official SIBAT defence-export supplier listing establishing it as a defence manufacturer.

No public evidence identified of a defence-equipment manufacturing memorandum of understanding between El Al and an Israeli military procurement body.

No public evidence identified of a government contract specifying reimbursement to El Al for the October–November 2023 medical and protective-equipment shipments.

Dual-Use Products & Tactical Variants

Products and transport capabilities

El Al’s 2024 ESG report identifies a commercial aircraft fleet including Boeing 737, 777 and 787 aircraft, with a Boeing 737-800 configured for cargo operations.¹²

The company’s 2025 annual report describes commercial airfreight operations using dedicated cargo aircraft and cargo capacity aboard passenger aircraft.¹

El Al’s January 2024 magazine identifies a Boeing 737 passenger aircraft converted into a dedicated freighter and describes temporary Boeing 777 freight configurations created by removing passenger seats.⁶

The company described the adapted Boeing 777 aircraft as capable of transporting approximately 25–50 tonnes of cargo per flight.⁶

These disclosures concern commercial aircraft adaptations for freight carriage, including medical equipment destined for soldiers, without identifying a purpose-built El Al military aircraft or weapons platform.⁶

Reported carriage of military aircraft components

A September 2024 investigation by The Ditch reported that El Al transported components associated with Lockheed Martin’s F-35 programme to Israel, including consignments on 24 October 2023 and 13 May and 20 August 2024.¹³

The publication identified Nevatim Air Base and Lockheed Martin-related F-35 operations as relevant to the reported shipments; this attribution derives from the investigation and was not independently established through a published El Al procurement contract.¹³

End-user documentation and export licensing

The Ditch’s April 2026 investigation described Elbit Systems of America consignments reportedly marked as US Foreign Military Financing cargo and transported towards Israel by El Al.¹⁴

The report identified flight LY1624, a Newark-to-Tel Aviv route and an aggregate shipment weight of approximately 268 kilograms, attributing those particulars to freight documentation examined by its reporters.¹⁴

A subsequent October 2026 investigation reported that one component transported by El Al in August 2026 was associated with the US Foreign Military Sales programme.¹⁵

The reported Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales designations identify alleged military-assistance associations of transported goods without establishing that El Al manufactured the equipment or was the original government-contract beneficiary.^{14, 15}

Militarised manufacturing

No public evidence identified that El Al manufactures or markets tactical, ruggedised or military-specified variants of aircraft or weapons-related products.

No public evidence identified of an El Al-designed targeting system, weapons-control application or military-specific AI product.

No public evidence identified of an El Al-held end-user certificate or individually identified export licence for manufacture or export of military equipment.

No public evidence identified that El Al manufactured the medical, protective or tactical supplies identified in its October–November 2023 cargo disclosures.

Heavy Machinery, Construction & Infrastructure

Occupied-territory construction and equipment

No public evidence identified of El Al-owned machinery or construction equipment being used in settlement construction, Palestinian property demolition, checkpoint construction or separation-barrier works.

No public evidence identified of El Al supplying heavy machinery to military engineering units operating in the West Bank, East Jerusalem or Golan Heights.

Aviation infrastructure

El Al’s 2025 reporting describes the introduction of a domestic route to Ramon Airport during the November 2025 winter season.¹

The Israel Airports Authority describes Ramon Airport as a civilian domestic and international airport serving Eilat, approximately 19 kilometres north of the city.¹⁶

These records establish civilian aviation operations at Ramon Airport without establishing settlement construction or military infrastructure contracts in internationally recognised occupied territory.^{1, 16}

Construction and engineering contracts

No public evidence identified of El Al constructing, servicing or expanding IDF bases, detention facilities, checkpoints, military roads, settlement buildings or the separation barrier.

No public evidence identified of an authorised El Al construction franchise, engineering subsidiary or equipment dealership undertaking such work.

Supply Chain Integration with Defence Primes

Lockheed Martin and F-35-related cargo

The Ditch’s September 2024 investigation identified Lockheed Martin and the F-35 programme in connection with reported El Al transport of aircraft components destined for Israel, including material associated with Nevatim Air Base.¹³

The reported relationship concerns carriage of components manufactured or supplied through other companies, without identifying El Al as an F-35 component manufacturer.¹³

Elbit Systems of America

In April 2026, The Ditch reported that Elbit Systems of America sent six military-related consignments on El Al flight LY1624 from Newark to Tel Aviv, with a combined reported weight of approximately 268 kilograms.¹⁴

The publication stated that the cargo was designated under a US military assistance financing programme and that its investigation was based on freight records.¹⁴

The report identifies El Al as the carrying airline and Elbit Systems of America as the sender without establishing that El Al developed or manufactured the transported equipment.¹⁴

Elbit Systems and tank-related components

An investigation published on 21 October 2026 reported El Al’s carriage of approximately one tonne of military cargo on two flights crossing Irish airspace on 15 and 16 August 2026.¹⁵

The publication identified a tank target-acquisition system, modular gunner sights and other Elbit Systems-manufactured components among the reported cargo.¹⁵

The investigation describes transported cargo without assigning El Al an engineering or manufacturing role in the equipment.¹⁵

Elbit Systems Land, Mijno and DSV

October 2026 reporting identified a proposed shipment of mechanical components from France to Elbit Systems Land in Israel, naming French manufacturer Mijno and freight company DSV.¹⁷

According to the report, the consignment was rebooked onto an El Al flight at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport after an earlier proposed Air France movement became the subject of protests.¹⁷

The report states that airport workers refused to load the cargo onto the El Al flight, leaving completed transportation and delivery unestablished.¹⁷

Other defence manufacturers

No public evidence identified of El Al manufacturing components for Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems or Israel Military Industries.

No public evidence identified of joint weapons development, licensed arms production or technology-transfer programmes between El Al and these manufacturers.

No public evidence identified of defence-component manufacturing by Sundor or another operationally integrated El Al subsidiary.

Logistical Sustainment & Base Services

Repatriation of reservists

El Al operated special repatriation arrangements during October 2023 to transport reservists returning to Israel for military service, including announced departures from New York and Bangkok.²

The company subsequently publicised additional benefits and travel programmes for IDF service personnel, including complimentary tickets and loyalty rewards throughout 2024.^{3, 4}

Its 2025 annual report confirms continuation of travel benefits for reservists and combat soldiers during 2025.¹

Medical and protective-equipment airlift

El Al’s January 2024 corporate magazine records two Boeing 787 flights from New York to Israel at the beginning of the war carrying more than 30 tonnes of equipment, including medical supplies and protective equipment for soldiers.⁶

The company reported that equipment was transported in cargo holds and passenger seating areas, with supplies donated by organisations including Israel Friends US.⁶

A further Dreamliner arrived from New York in November 2023 carrying medical and protective supplies for IDF soldiers and humanitarian supplies for displaced civilian families.⁶

The company identified El Al, the Phoenix Group and Amudim as participants financing the November shipment.⁶

A contemporary Jerusalem Post report identified the same organisations in an October 2023 announcement of a planned additional flight, including first-aid equipment, tourniquets, bandages, stretchers and thermal clothing.⁸

In a February 2024 company announcement, El Al’s vice-president of marketing and digital described the airline’s transportation of military-related donations, including tactical helmets and clothing for soldiers.¹⁸

Military cargo transportation

The Ditch reported El Al’s carriage of F-35-related components on flights in October 2023, May 2024 and August 2024, identifying Lockheed Martin and Nevatim Air Base in the reported supply chain.¹³

The publication subsequently documented reported Smith & Wesson handgun shipments on El Al flights through Irish airspace on 20 and 21 October 2024, including a reported 1,338-kilogramme consignment on the latter date.¹⁹

A later investigation identified approximately 1,500 kilograms of handguns aboard an El Al flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Tel Aviv on 12 January 2025.²⁰

The April 2026 Elbit Systems of America investigation identified El Al flight LY1624 and reported military cargo transported from Newark towards Tel Aviv.¹⁴

The October 2026 investigation identified further military cargo movements in August 2026 involving tank-related equipment and other military components.¹⁵

Freight-handling arrangements

El Al’s 2024 annual disclosures identify Maman Cargo Terminals & Handling Ltd. as a contractual provider of cargo terminal services and identify an agreement concerning cargo handling and associated office facilities.⁵

The existence of the Maman commercial cargo-handling relationship does not independently establish that Maman handled the particular military consignments described in investigative reporting.^{5, 13}

Aviation-security services

El Al’s formal state-security arrangements extend through the agreement period ending in 2031, with an extension mechanism described in its 2025 annual report.¹

The company describes its aviation-security services as subject to Israeli state instructions and the relevant security authorities.¹

Geographic scope

The reported military cargo movements connect airports in the United States and Europe with Israel, while some investigations identify onward destination or programme connections involving Nevatim Air Base.^{13, 14, 15}

El Al’s corporate magazine directly identifies New York as the origin of the October–November 2023 medical and protective-equipment airlifts.⁶

The Belgian organisation 11.11.11 describes El Al’s historical use of Liège Airport as a refuelling stop on flights between the United States and Israel.²¹

The same organisation separately discusses Challenge Airlines and settlement-related agricultural exports; its account does not establish that El Al operated those settlement-export movements.²¹

Military installation services

El Al’s January 2024 corporate magazine describes an employee-led food initiative providing meals to soldiers stationed in northern and southern Israel, alongside support for medical teams and displaced families.⁷

The corporate publication does not identify that initiative as a formally awarded IDF base-catering contract.⁷

No public evidence identified of an El Al contract to provide fuel, facilities maintenance or waste management at an IDF installation.

No public evidence identified of an El Al military logistics installation operating inside a settlement in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem or Golan Heights.

Munitions, Weapons Systems & Strategic Platforms

Weapons carried as cargo

A September 2024 investigation by The Ditch reported El Al transportation of components for F-35 fighter aircraft used by the Israeli military, identifying flights in October 2023, May 2024 and August 2024.¹³

The Ditch subsequently reported that El Al transported Smith & Wesson handguns on flights crossing Ireland on 20 and 21 October 2024, with reported consignment weights of 267 kilograms and 1,338 kilograms respectively.¹⁹

The publication identified an additional approximately 1,500-kilogramme handgun consignment on an El Al flight dated 12 January 2025.²⁰

Its April 2026 investigation reported military consignments sent by Elbit Systems of America and carried aboard El Al flight LY1624.¹⁴

An investigation dated 21 October 2026 reported further El Al carriage of tank target-acquisition equipment and modular gunner sights manufactured by Elbit Systems.¹⁵

Protective and medical military supplies

El Al’s January 2024 company publication confirms transportation of military-related protective equipment and medical supplies on two Boeing 787 flights from New York at the beginning of the war.⁶

The company separately confirms a November shipment that included first-aid kits, tourniquets, stretchers, thermal equipment and protective gear for IDF soldiers.⁶

These disclosed goods include military-support equipment, while the same shipments also included civilian medical and humanitarian supplies.⁶

The company’s publication identifies its role in transportation and financial support for the November operation without identifying El Al as the manufacturer of the equipment.⁶

Strategic aircraft-related supply

The reported F-35 shipments connect El Al’s freight operations to the logistics of a combat-aircraft programme, but the reviewed reporting identifies no El Al role in design, manufacture or integration of the aircraft.¹³

Military equipment in a proposed Paris shipment

October 2026 reporting identified mechanical components intended for Elbit Systems Land, reportedly for military-vehicle systems, in a shipment proposed for carriage by El Al.¹⁷

The report states that cargo workers refused to load the shipment, leaving actual transportation and delivery unconfirmed.¹⁷

Lethal-system manufacturing

No public evidence identified that El Al manufactures small arms, ammunition, artillery, tanks, combat drones, military aircraft or other lethal platforms.

No public evidence identified of El Al manufacturing explosive precursors, propellants, warheads, missiles or guided munitions.

No public evidence identified of El Al manufacturing radar, targeting electronics, fire-control systems or propulsion components for weapons.

No public evidence identified of El Al designing or supplying an AI system whose primary output is a kinetic military targeting decision or weapons effect.

Export Licensing, Regulatory & Legal History

Irish airspace and military cargo investigations

In September 2024, The Ditch reported El Al flights carrying military cargo through Irish sovereign airspace without the ministerial permission that the publication said was required under Irish aviation law.¹³

The investigation identified specific flights and reported that Ireland’s Department of Transport had stated that no relevant authorisations for transporting Israel-bound weapons had been granted since October 2023.¹³

Further reporting in October 2024 identified additional handgun consignments transported aboard El Al flights crossing Ireland.¹⁹

A subsequent investigation reported correspondence between Ireland’s Department of Transport and El Al’s legal representatives, including DLA Piper, following the initial enquiries in October 2024.²²

According to records described by The Ditch, correspondence continued into May 2025, when El Al’s representatives submitted documents after several months of exchanges with Irish officials.²²

The publication stated that Irish authorities withheld parts of the correspondence and supporting documents from disclosure, and reported no final enforcement outcome in that investigation.²²

Subsequent reported shipments

A 2025 investigation identified further handgun carriage on an El Al flight dated 12 January 2025, subsequent to the initial Irish regulatory enquiries.²⁰

Investigations published in April and October 2026 reported additional El Al military cargo movements through Irish airspace, including material associated with Elbit Systems and US military assistance programmes.^{14, 15}

Export and transit distinction

The reported activity concerns international carriage and transit of military goods manufactured or supplied by third parties; the reviewed evidence does not identify El Al itself as the original exporter or weapons manufacturer.^{13, 14, 15}

Regulatory outcomes

No public evidence identified of a final Irish criminal conviction against El Al arising from the reported military cargo flights.

No public evidence identified of a confirmed Irish administrative fine, airspace prohibition or operating-licence revocation imposed on El Al in the examined records.

No public evidence identified of an individually specified UK, EU or US arms-export licence granted or refused to El Al as a military-equipment manufacturer.

No public evidence identified of a final judicial ruling against El Al for breach of a military export-control regime.

Constructive-notice chronology

Reported El Al weapons shipments in January 2025, April 2026 and August 2026 occurred after 19 July 2024 and November 2024, establishing that the activities described by investigators extended beyond those dates.^{14, 15, 20}

The available reporting does not establish a final legal determination that these particular movements violated an arms embargo or that El Al possessed a specific prohibited end-use instruction.²²

Civil Society Scrutiny & Documented Investigations

Investigative reporting on military cargo

The Ditch published investigations between 2024 and 2026 identifying El Al’s reported carriage of military aircraft components, handguns, Elbit Systems shipments and tank-related equipment.^{13, 14, 15, 19, 20}

Its reporting identifies individual flight routes, shipment dates, consignment weights and named manufacturers, allowing the allegations to be distinguished from general claims about commercial aviation.^{13, 14, 15}

The publication also investigated correspondence between El Al’s lawyers and Ireland’s Department of Transport concerning military cargo transit.²²

Labour and civil-society intervention

In October 2026, Ynet reported that French airport workers declined to load a military-component shipment intended for Elbit Systems Land onto a proposed El Al flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.¹⁷

The report identified Mijno and DSV in the supply arrangements and described opposition by unions and pro-Palestinian organisations.¹⁷

The reporting described an intervention before shipment rather than a completed El Al delivery.¹⁷

Corporate programmes benefiting military personnel

El Al’s February 2024 announcement offered eligible IDF personnel complimentary flight tickets, with airport taxes remaining payable.³

The company described the initiative as recognition of military service and referred to earlier transportation of reservists following emergency mobilisation.²³

In December 2024, the airline announced additional rewards for reservists, including points linked to military service and travel-related benefits.⁴

The 2025 financial disclosures confirm that military reservist benefits remained part of the company’s activities in the following year.¹

Corporate participation in military-support donations

El Al’s January 2024 corporate magazine states that customers could donate frequent-flyer points to associations supporting Israeli soldiers, bereaved military families and displaced civilian families.⁶

The company identified the Association for Israel’s Soldiers, Zaka Search and Rescue, the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization and Latet as participating organisations.⁶

The magazine also described a flight-voucher campaign under which 10% of qualifying voucher purchases would be donated to organisations supporting IDF soldiers and civilians affected by the attacks, identifying cooperation with FIDF and Shoresh.⁶

The same corporate publication acknowledges El Al’s financial participation alongside the Phoenix Group and Amudim in a November 2023 shipment containing equipment for IDF soldiers.⁶

The magazine describes a food-distribution initiative delivering meals to soldiers in northern and southern Israel, medical teams and displaced civilians.⁷

These are documented corporate programmes, although the publication does not provide independently audited breakdowns of the monetary value attributable to each participating organisation.^{6, 7}

Ownership and controlling principals

El Al’s 2024 annual financial statements, Chapter C, Note 21, report that Kanfei Nesharim Aviation Ltd. held approximately 48.56% of the company’s shares at 31 December 2024, compared with approximately 48.27% shortly before the report’s approval.²⁴

The company’s separately published 2024 ESG report identifies Kanfei Nesharim, owned by Eli Rozenberg, as the controlling shareholder and gives approximately 47.64% of ordinary shares for the same 31 December 2024 reference date.¹²

The annual financial statements and ESG report therefore contain different company-issued shareholding figures for the same stated year-end date; the 48.56% figure is the explicit holding reported in the annual financial statements, while the discrepancy with the ESG disclosure remains unreconciled.^{12, 24}

The UK Companies House beneficial-ownership register identifies Eli Rozenberg as holding more than 25% of El Al’s shares and voting rights and records continuity statements notified in June 2026.²⁵

El Al’s 2024 annual financial statements identify Eli Zachary Rozenberg and his father, Kenneth Neal Rozenberg, in the company’s state-approved control arrangements.²⁴

The annual financial statements also identify Kenneth Neal Rozenberg as a vice-chairman of the board, including in the discussion of his terms of office.²⁴

UK Companies House independently records the name Kenneth Neal Rozenberg in its filing history, including a director-appointment filing dated 22 August 2025 concerning an appointment on 20 May 2021.²⁶

The primary corporate records therefore support the spelling Kenneth Neal Rozenberg rather than the alternative Kenneth Neil Rozenberg.^{24, 26}

El Al’s 2025 annual report identifies Kenneth Neal Rozenberg and Eli Zachary Rozenberg in the company’s control arrangements and records an investment agreement involving chairman Amikam Ben Zvi.¹

The company’s governance reporting identifies Kenneth Rozenberg, Darrell Hagler and Jason Greenblatt among its directors, while its executive succession arrangements brought Levy Halevy into the chief-executive role in 2026.^{27, 28}

No public evidence identified in the reviewed sources of a qualifying controlling principal personally supplying weapons to the IDF, holding a documented controlling investment in an Israeli defence prime, or making a publicly verified personal donation earmarked for IDF military equipment.

No public evidence identified of a qualifying El Al controlling principal’s individual participation in an arms-manufacturing contract attributable to the airline.

Civil-society databases and international reporting

No public evidence identified establishing a specific El Al entry in the UN OHCHR settlement-business database.

No public evidence identified establishing an El Al-specific defence procurement finding in the examined searches concerning UN document A/HRC/59/23.

No public evidence identified of a separately verified El Al-specific military-equipment manufacturing contract in the examined Who Profits, AFSC, Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch searches.

No public evidence identified of an El Al-specific institutional divestment decision explicitly predicated on a verified contract to manufacture military equipment.

Corporate responses

El Al’s own statements establish that it operated special services benefiting Israeli military personnel and continued related travel benefits in 2025.^{1, 2, 4}

Its January 2024 magazine publicly acknowledged the company’s role in transporting medical and protective equipment for soldiers and its financial participation in a November 2023 shipment.⁶

The Irish regulatory investigation documents engagement between El Al’s legal representatives and transport authorities, but the published account does not provide a complete public statement from El Al resolving the military-cargo allegations.²²

No public evidence identified of El Al announcing the permanent termination of military cargo transport, a military-cargo-specific end-use monitoring programme, or an undertaking to refuse all future IDF-related freight.