El AL flight 008 from New York to Tel Aviv will not land for a stopover in Rome as planned.
El Al explained that proper arrangements have been made and that the decision involves a life and death situation as regards one of the passengers.
The decision was reached after consultation with the airline's medical officer and its rabbi, and with the permission of the Chief Sephardic Rabbi.
The flight took off late from New York and was supposed to land in Rome in order to avoid breaching the Sabbath.