The Israeli Pilots Association magazine
The Israeli Pilots Association magazine
The Israeli Pilots Association recently initiated a meeting with the heads of El Al's Safety and Sustainability Division, intended to serve as a pilot program to examine joint courses of action between the airline and the Association regarding sustainability and environmental protection * The Association intends to hold similar meetings with the remaining airlines operating in Israel, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA), and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI), and to determine strategies and courses of action following this round of meetings * Below is the summary of the meeting
A meeting held on October 7, 2026, initiated by the Israel Air Line Pilots Association with EL AL’s Safety and Sustainability Division, marked the launch of a pilot initiative to explore cooperation on sustainability and environmental protection.
The meeting forms part of a planned series of discussions between the Association and all Israeli airlines, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI), aimed at developing a coordinated strategy and common courses of action for the aviation sector as a whole.
As part of a shift in the company’s approach and organizational structure, EL AL’s Safety Division has broadened its remit and is now known as the Safety and Sustainability Division. It includes a multidisciplinary department that coordinates sustainability matters across the organization. Current efforts naturally focus primarily on fuel conservation, including single-engine taxiing and optimizing the timing of auxiliary power unit (APU) operation, alongside environmental initiatives at the company’s campus, such as transitioning to electric vehicles and holding awareness days. However, the discussion identified an inherent gap in communicating these activities to flight crews: their working routines do not regularly take them through the company’s offices, while communications with them focus primarily on flight operations.
Several key avenues for cooperation were discussed as ways to bridge this gap. The first proposal was to incorporate sustainability and environmental awareness content into training programmers, including initial training and command courses. The Association will refine the proposed content and submit a draft for review by the relevant divisions.
A second proposal was to use the Association’s direct communication and media channels to convey targeted environmental messages to pilots, encouraging them to become active partners in environmentally responsible flight operations.
The participants also explored the possibility of Association representatives attending EL AL’s quarterly fuel meetings as observers, subject to formal approval. EL AL’s willingness to consider this proposal reflects an open and serious response to the Association’s initiative and a shared interest in translating sustainability objectives into practical action.
The meeting was characterized by open, productive and constructive discussion, highlighting the considerable potential and mutual benefits of cooperation between the airline and the Association. It also reflected a shared understanding that such cooperation can deliver business and operational benefits alongside a tangible environmental impact.