Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
El Al to break record with non-stop Melbourne rescue flight
El Al is planning a rescue flight from Melbourne to Tel Aviv to transport Israelis stuck Down Under amid the coronavirus crisis.
At 17 hours and 40 minutes, the direct flight will be the longest ever attempted by the airline, El Al says. A 17-hour rescue flight from Peru last week had set the previous record.
Israeli travelers enjoy a celebratory arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, March 23, 2020. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)
The airline had already been planning on launching a Tel Aviv-Melbourne route in April.
El Al says the rescue flight was requested by Foreign Minister Israel Katz. It says more flights may be added if needed.
Israel has been arranging rescue flights to return its nationals stranded abroad as borders around the world close.
