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Meet the Crew

They welcome you with a smile when you arrive at the airport, make sure you are comfortable, and fly you safely to your destination – time to get up close and personal with the EL AL Israel Airlines ground and flight personnel. Meet Schedule Control Planner Mali Sharon

“After October 7 th , we managed to add flights and repatriate Israelis stranded abroad. In those moments you realize this isn’t just another job - it’s a calling”

Name: Mali Sharon | Age: 42 | Marital Status : Married + 4 | Position: Schedule Control Planner | Years at EL AL: 23

What led you to join EL AL? “I was offered a part-time job here at 19, thinking it would just be a short-lived adventure. Fast-forward to 23 years later, and here I am, still in love with my job every single day”. What does your position entail? “I’m responsible for planning the schedule in the most efficient way possible. A lot of cooperation with dozens of international airline teams across the globe goes into making it happen. It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle”. What do you most love about your job? “Being of service to others. My job took on a whole new level of meaning on October 7 th . Within a matter of hours, we had to plan a new schedule and repatriate thousands of Israelis, soldiers and reservists trying to get back home to fight. We managed

to add flights to the schedule and repatriate as many people as possible. It was amazing to see all our staff entirely committed to get the job done. In those moments, you realize this isn’t just another job – it’s a calling”. Which part of your job do you find most challenging? “Any slightest schedule change has knock-on effects on everything else. It’s important to be able to adapt to the unforeseen and take decisions quickly in real time and under pressure”. What do you always pack with you? “A first-aid kit, a jacket, and energy bars”. Which EL AL destination do you most enjoy flying to and why? “Paris. I love it. It’s even become a joke round the office how much I talk about wanting to go back. I find it magical. Also, as I keep kosher, Paris has the

advantage of having a lot of kosher food options”. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? “As a mother of four small children, I don’t get a lot of time to myself, but when I do, I enjoy doing Pilates which is so good for both body and soul”. What would you be doing now, had you not joined EL AL? “I grew up in a family where everybody works in the family construction business, so I suppose I’d have studied architecture or interior design. But once you join the EL AL family you never want to leave”.

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Tips & Recommendations

Attraction: Haus des Meeres, one of the most beautiful places in Vienna. It’s a giant 11-story aquarium with an immense variety of fauna and flora.

Activity: Segway or e-scooter tours. They’re great for getting to know a new city and feel like a local.

Hotel: The My Kosher Hotel, in the Italian Dolomites. A kosher keeping boutique hotel that’s great for a ski trip in the winter or a family holiday in the summer.

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ATMOSPHERE AUGUST 2024