El Al Human Remains Cargo: Shipping Rules, Costs, and Halachic Options

El Al's Human Remains Transport Division

El Al Cargo operates a dedicated human remains transport division out of Ben Gurion Airport, available 24 hours a day except during Shabbat and Jewish holidays. For families repatriating remains from Israel to the United States, El Al is one established option, with protocols for accommodating religious requirements that other airlines may not offer.

Contact El Al Cargo's human remains division at +972-3-9771111 or via cargostore@elal.co.il.

IATA Requirements for Air Transport of Human Remains

All international airlines, El Al included, must comply with International Air Transport Association (IATA) cargo regulations and the Strasbourg Agreement. These standards exist to prevent biological leakage during pressurized flight and are non-negotiable:

The zinc-lined inner coffin. The body must be placed in a hermetically sealed, zinc-plated steel or tinplate inner coffin with a maximum wall thickness of 0.4mm. A certified mortuary technician solders the zinc lid shut to create an absolute airtight seal. After sealing, the technician issues a formal Coffin Sealing Certificate (Certificat de Mise en Bière) — this document must accompany the shipping manifest.

The outer wooden crate. The sealed zinc inner coffin goes inside an outer wooden protective coffin or air tray. Combined weight is typically restricted to 130–150 kg. Heavier shipments require specialized heavy-cargo routing with higher fees and potentially longer transit times.

The non-contraband declaration. The shipping agent or funeral director must provide a signed declaration that the coffin contains only the deceased's remains and necessary packing materials — no personal effects, no prohibited items.

Cargo Costs: What to Budget

El Al's human remains cargo fees from Tel Aviv to the US typically range from $4,000 to $8,399, depending on weight, routing, and whether the shipment is direct or connecting. This is the air transport fee alone — it does not include mortuary preparation, casket fabrication, or documentation costs.

The total all-in cost for full-body repatriation from Israel to the US runs $10,000 to $20,000 when you add local mortuary removal ($300–$1,000), body preparation ($500–$1,200), the zinc-lined casket and crate ($1,500–$3,500), documentation and apostille fees ($300–$800), and the receiving US funeral home's transfer fee ($600–$1,500).

The Halachic Alternative: Shipping Without Embalming

Most international carriers require embalming before they will accept human remains as cargo. This creates a direct conflict with traditional Jewish law (halacha), which strictly prohibits embalming as a desecration of the body's natural decomposition process.

El Al has a distinct advantage here. Because of the carrier's established relationship with religious authorities and the prevalence of halachic repatriations in the Israel corridor, El Al frequently accommodates unembalmed remains under specialized protocols:

• Double-sealed bio-bag containment: The body is placed in a sealed, leak-proof bio-containment bag that satisfies the airline's environmental health requirements without chemical preservation
• Rabbinic supervision: A qualified rabbinic authority certifies that the preparation meets halachic standards

This accommodation is not automatic — the family's shipping agent must negotiate it directly with El Al Cargo's human remains division. Other carriers generally enforce their standard embalming requirements; confirm each carrier's current policy.

The Known Shipper Requirement

Neither El Al nor any other airline will accept human remains cargo from just anyone. The funeral home or shipping agent handling the booking must be a registered "known shipper" with both TSA and the departing airline. This registration verifies that the shipper has been vetted for security compliance and follows established chain-of-custody protocols.

If you're coordinating from the United States, ask your local funeral home whether they have a correspondent agent in Israel who holds known-shipper status. If they don't, the U.S. Embassy's American Citizen Services unit can provide a referral list of licensed shipping agents in Israel.

Shabbat and Holiday Scheduling

El Al does not operate cargo flights from Friday evening through Saturday night (Shabbat) or on major Jewish holidays. For families arranging repatriation, this means:

• A body prepared and sealed on a Thursday may not ship until Sunday
• Mortuary storage fees accumulate for each day of delay
• Government offices that issue permits and certificates also close for Shabbat

Factor at least one Shabbat delay into your repatriation timeline unless the death occurs early in the week with all documentation obtained before Friday afternoon.

The American Dies in Israel — Family Emergency Guide includes the complete document dependency chain for repatriation — which permits depend on which, who issues them, and how to sequence everything so the cargo booking isn't delayed by a missing certificate upstream.