First ever transatlantic flight from Israel for artificial heart patient with EL AL Airlines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) August 24, 2009 -- New York, NY – July 22, 2009 – EL AL, Israel’s national airline, announced the first ever transatlantic flight carrying a patient with an artificial heart. The flight from Israel to USA by seventy-one-year-old Gershon Gefen is the first time on record a flight of this length, carrying such a patient, has been successfully achieved.

Seventy-one-year-old Israeli Gershon Gefen planned to visit family in America after being given the all clear by doctors after a recent artificial heart replacement procedure in 2008. EL AL Airlines agreed to the record-breaking feat after all other airlines that fly from Israel refused the passenger’s request.

An EL AL spokesman said: "We agreed to this unique request after consultation with both specialist heart doctors and the extensive efforts of our chief electronics officer. We were required to provide Mr. Geffen with a modified device that connected his heart to an in-flight power line. Initial tests proved successful providing us with the assurance of safety of Mr .Geffen and all other passengers onboard the flight.

After spending valuable time with his daughter, Gershon Gefen then returned on a flight to Israel 3 weeks later praising EL AL saying, “Without the help of EL AL, I would never have gotten off the ground.”

El AL Airlines is leading the way in Medical International Travel, in order to accommodate passengers traveling to Israel for medical treatment at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.. EL AL has recently extended its partnership with S.P.A. Travel that offers customer services to ensure maximum comfort and convenience when buying this kind of medical vacation. A growing trend in both travel and medical industries offers overseas travel packages that include high quality medical healthcare at respected international medical institutions.

For more information on medical travel to Israel on EL AL, passengers should contact the airline at (800) 223-6700 or any travel agent or visit www.elal.com.

About EL AL
Celebrating more than 60 years of service, EL AL, Israel's national airline, offers the most nonstop flights between New York (JFK/Newark) and Israel as well as the only nonstop service from Los Angeles. Worldwide, EL AL flies to more than 40 destinations from Israel and serves dozens of other destinations throughout the world via partnerships with many other carriers (including 22 additional cities in the U.S.A.). Only EL AL has First Class service on nonstop flights between the U.S.A. and Israel.

EL AL embodies Israel’s values of innovation and caring and the promise of a genuine Israeli welcome. Your Israel experience begins with EL AL and warm Israeli hospitality. Israeli flight attendants will make you feel at home; the best trained Israeli pilots will take you to and from Israel; and passengers enjoy enhanced in-flight dining with freshly prepared healthy meals.

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