Airline Loses Lawsuit Against Pilot Who Joined Rival El Al

A labor court in Tel Aviv has fully dismissed a lawsuit filed by cargo airline CAL Cargo Airlines against pilot Vitel Gardus, who left CAL to join El Al after less than 18 months. CAL had sought significant financial reimbursement for a comprehensive, expensive five-and-a-half-month training course that included simulator sessions and overseas instruction.

However, Judge Michal Na'im Dibner ruled that despite the substantial resources invested, the airline never obtained a signed financial commitment from the pilot, which is legally required. The court found that management's attempt to rely on a general clause in the collective agreement was insufficient without a specific, signed agreement.

The judge emphasized that "knowledge is not the same as commitment," noting that even the airline's lawyers had warned them at the time that obtaining a signature was "very important." Furthermore, it was revealed that when the pilot was asked to sign at the end of his training, he refused, and the company continued to employ him without enforcing the signature.

Concurrently, the court rejected a counterclaim by the pilot seeking back pay, arguing his training was unnecessarily prolonged. The judge determined his salary was accurate and that he had confused gross and net pay. Ultimately, both claims were dismissed. As CAL initiated the complex legal proceedings, the court ordered the airline to pay the pilot 10,000 shekels in legal expenses.