Would anyone know why there's an El-Al 767-200 sitting at AC's maintenance hangar across from the A gates at Terminal 3 today? Pic:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1588711&l=41fa0&id=842113760

Does AC do scheduled mainteance for El Al or is this a mechanical issue? It was so odd looking at this southern bird through the snowflakes.

That is its regular parking spot for its lengthy turnaround in Toronto, when it is not on a gate at Terminal 3

Good safe area for it to park. No doubt there was some unobtrusive security vehicles around it. On that note, when I was waiting to depart from ZRH to YUL last month, El-Al was boarding and an armored personnel carrier was in plain view just off the apron.

I wonder if you have set off any red flags somewhere by mentioning it on a public forum and putting up a picture. With all the security surrounding El-Al planes, I wouldn't be surprised.   

The security suv/van is always there with with the plane. Whether there are armed personel or not who knows. Occasionally it the aircraft and attendant minder is parked elsewhere, but that is the most common place. Occasionally when the aircraft taxis for takeoff a similar vehicle comes and scans the fences near the end of the runway and any gates along the runway, like the one alongside FedEx.

Quoting Pnwtraveler (Reply 4): Occasionally when the aircraft taxis for takeoff a similar vehicle comes and scans the fences near the end of the runway and any gates along the runway, like the one alongside FedEx

Wow! Didn't know that the security blanket was THAT tight! But it does bring up the question as to how they say profitable in current market even after spending so much on aircraft security. I wonder if they have electronic countermeasures / AWACS type system in every single aircraft.

Quite intriguing!

Quoting Phoenix9 (Reply 5): But it does bring up the question as to how they say profitable in current market even after spending so much on aircraft security. I wonder if they have electronic countermeasures / AWACS type system in every single aircraft.

80% of the the security measures of evey Israeli airline are paid by the State. It used to be 50% until recently. http://www.reuters.com/article/AIRDEF/idUSL2723659620080127


El Al airplanes were "supposed" to be fitted with anti-missiles systems for years, already in the 1980s; there had been attempts to attacks El Al airplanes with missiles in the 1970s in Rome and Nairobi. But after the Mombassa attack against an Arkia airplane in 2002, it became "officially" clear that Israeli civil airliners were not equipped with anti-missiles systems, as Israeli defense companies were mandated to develop such system. 6 years after this event, it is believed that some El Al airplanes (flying to "dangerous" destinations...) are fitted with a protextive system called Flight Guard, developed by IAI and Elta.

Quoting Phoenix9 (Reply 5): Wow! Didn't know that the security blanket was THAT tight! But it does bring up the question as to how they say profitable in current market even after spending so much on aircraft security. I wonder if they have electronic countermeasures / AWACS type system in every single aircraft.

El Al is one of the most secure airlines in the world and they won't publically state what anti-terrorist measures they do employ. When I flew them the security wsa outof this world and that was back in the 80's. They use to have two flights form Isreal land in YYZ from Telaviv a T7 and a 767-200. The T7 would go on to LAX. I don't know if they do that anymore.

Quoting Phoenix9 (Reply 5): But it does bring up the question as to how they say profitable in current market even after spending so much on aircraft security.

I recall, shortly after September 11, when airline security was in question, EL AL was thought a model to be considered. American Airlines, who obviously have a stake in high security stated that if they maintained an "EL AL" level of security on every one of their flights, it would add an extra USD 2.5 Billion to their costs!!!

We only talk about the security measures EL AL performs that we can see ... I can't even imagine the things we can't see.

Quoting Phoenix9 (Reply 3): I wonder if you have set off any red flags somewhere by mentioning it on a public forum and putting up a picture. With all the security surrounding El-Al planes, I wouldn't be surprised.

There is no big secret here ELAL as usual

I have been taking pictures at T3 during the evening/night hours and been approached by a fully armed peel regional officer. They just asked what we were doing and to look at our pictures. I know that EL AL would use gates inside the horseshoe so photo ops were not possible. How ever, the police were kind and up for a small conversation. But I have seen the discussed vehicle and when someone was at the fence taking pictures they were approached by the locals... so security is increased when EL AL is on the ground or in motion.

Grant

Quoting Eyeno1 (Reply 2): On that note, when I was waiting to depart from ZRH to YUL last month, El Al was boarding and an armored personnel carrier was in plain view just off the apron.

I think they've been doing that since a terrorist attack on an El Al 707 at ZRH on February 18, 1969 that killed one pilot, injured another and also killed 3 passengers.

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 11): I think they've been doing that since a terrorist attack on an El Al 707 at ZRH on February 18, 1969 that killed one pilot, injured another and also killed 3 passengers.

Yes, but in Zurich, no passengers were hurt. The Boeing 720 was attacked while rolling to the runway for take-off, so it was full of kerosene for the flight to Tel Aviv. The attack was stopped, and the plane possibly saved, by the intervention of an armed guard onboard the 720, at that time something very new.

In another attack, which took place a few months earlier, on December 26 1968 against an El Al 707 on the Athens tarmac, one passenger had been killed.


From what I understand, the security measures taken by local police or military forces are not paid by the airlines; the responsibility for securing the airport areas belong to the local authorities, not to the visiting airlines.