El Al locked in a dispute with Israel's powerful ultra-Orthodox community

The religious group is highly upset because the airline has recently flown several flights on the Sabbath. The Ultra-Orthodox community accounts for 20%-25% of El Al's passengers
 
For the last few days, El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. has been locked in a dispute with Israel's powerful ultra-Orthodox community. The religious group is highly upset because the airline has recently flown several flights on the Sabbath, the Jewish holy day.
 
The dispute between El Al and the ultra-Orthodox community erupted in the aftermath of last week’s strike by the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel). The strike disrupted timetables, stranding many El Al passengers around the world.
 
The airline therefore decided to make extra flights on Saturday to rescue the passengers. When the flights were reported, Orthodox leaders say El Al failed to issue a full apology. El Al's failure to apologize infuriated the ultra-Orthodox community, since El Al had given clear promises not to fly on Saturdays, even after its privatization.
 
The anger among the ultra-Orthodox community, who account for between 20% and 25% of El Al's passengers, is so high that they are threatening to boycott the airline unless it makes a written commitment never to fly on the Sabbath again.
 
Such a commitment would effectively make the airline beholden to Halacha, a strict code of Jewish law. (Religious and ultra-Orthodox passengers account for 23% of all El Al passengers to New York, 14% to Kiev, London and Brussels, and 11% to Chicago and Zurich.).
 
El Al CEO, Haim Romano, promised in private meetings with Orthodox leaders never again to desecrate the Sabbath, which runs from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. But it is not clear if the airline would be willing to sign a legally binding religious document. Romano said, “El Al decided not to fly on Saturday after privatization.
 
However, in extraordinary circumstances and when there is no choice, the airline decided not to leave passengers stranded with no alternatives at airports.” The loss of up to 30 percent of its business would be an economic blow to recently privatized El Al, which has done much to court the religious community.