El Al Airlines. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Israeli airline security is about to be enhanced, the Hebrew news site Walla reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, the decision to upgrade training for guards and increase other preventive measures on El Al, Arkia and IsraAir planes was taken by the Shin Bet security agency, which declined to comment on the grounds that it does not publicize such information.

This is not the first time that security improvements have been made on Israeli planes, Walla said. Among the technological advancements that have earned the Jewish state the reputation of being a world leader in the field of flight safety and airport security, are systems for intercepting surface-to-air missiles and bullet-proof double doors between cockpits and cabins.

For this reason, airline officials told Walla, Israel has frequently been asked to assist other countries in this realm, particularly since 9/11. Shin Bet agents and representatives of the Israel Airports Authority and El Al have had many working meetings on the topic with foreign counterparts, even observing and critiquing security drills. Indeed, a former El Al security chief told Walla, “Ben Gurion International Airport has become a model for emulation.”