EL AL Fleet – Historic – Other Aircraft Types with Israeli (‘4X’) Registration

Douglas DC-3

4X-ATA at Eilat, Israel, between February 1951 and January 1952. (photo in collection of Hadi Orr). In this photo, the aircraft has EL AL titles, while the side retains the livery (paint scheme) of Universal Airways which was owned by Jewish interests in South Africa from the late 1940s until EL AL acquired Universal in fall 1950.

C-47-DL (DC3C). MSN 6227. Delivered to USAAF 13 Jan 43, 42-5639. To RAF as FD773 (reported FD772 by Douglas). Registered to BOAC as G-AGGB, 19 Feb 43. To Airways Training Ltd., 1 Jun 47. To Automobile Aircraft Services 17 Jun 48. To Westair Transport Ltd. (owned by Israeli interests) 12 Jul 48. To Universal Airways, South Africa, and registered in South Africa as ZS-DAJ, 12 Jul 48, but not taken up, and to Westair Ltd. and registered ZS-DDJ, 16 Sep 49. To Israeli Defense Forces as serial number 1409 using military call sign 4X-FAI, 12 Nov 50. To EL AL as 4X-ATA, 22 Feb 51. Inaugurated EL AL service from Tel Aviv to Istanbul (via Nicosia) 1 Mar 51. Registration canceled 25 Jan 52 and returned to IDF. (4X-ATA registration was re-assigned to EL AL’s first Boeing 707 in 1961). To Arkia as 4X-AEO, 2 Apr 57. To Israel Aircraft Industries, 4 Sep 68. Withdrawn from use 30 Jul 71, and used for fire practice at Lod Airport.

Note: According to Israeli civil aviation historian Dr. Noam Hartoch, the files of the Israel Civiil Aviation Authority confirm that the DC-3 registered to EL AL as 4X-ATA was indeed the one bearing manufacturer’s serial number 6227, described above. A couple websites suggest a different DC-3, but that does not appear to be correct.

Airspeed AS.65 Consul

4X-AEK at Tel Aviv, mid-1950s. (BIAF-Israel Aviation & Space Magazine)

MSN 4324. Converted from AS.10 Oxford, ex-RAF PK260, at Portsmouth, registered G-AIKY, 5 Dec 46. Sold to Malayan Airways as VR-SCD, Apr 47. Restored as G-AIKY, Aug 52. Sold to Israel Jul 53 and registered 4X-AEK 26 Aug 53. Utilized Jul 53-Feb 57 by EL AL for crew training, to familiarize aircrew on the type before submitting to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) examination for instrument rating. The DCA used another Consul, 4X-AEN, which had a modified cockpit layout in order to test EL AL aircrew for instrument ratings. Withdrawn from use 18 Feb 57.

Last updated 8 July 2021

Copyright 2021, Marvin G. Goldman