El Al has ordered staff flying into Brussels not to remain there overnight. Crew, especially pilots, are to find hotel rooms outside the city, and return in the morning if they have a flight leaving there the next day, according to sources in the airline.
The order is one of several to Israeli flight crews instructing them on how to handle themselves in Europe's principal cities. With the threat of terror significantly higher throughout the continent, El Al has issued safety warnings and instructions for several cities.
The airline has also asked crews not to go out on the town in any European cities, but instead to remain in their hotel rooms. The order is in effect for all cities in Europe, the sources said.
With security threat levels increased throughout Europe – and with major alerts in cities like Brussels, which was virtually shut down last week due to terror threats – El Al said that it was acting on general warning by Israeli security officials that its crews could be targeted by terrorists in Europe.
When asked to elaborate on specific threats, the airline stressed that there were no specific warnings regarding threats. It also said that it would not comment “on rumors or matters connected to the security of the firm.”