TL;DR: A bag that did not arrive, or arrived damaged, is reported at the ground handling companies' desks in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall, opposite belt 3, where you receive a report number. Under the Montreal Convention the airline is liable for checked baggage up to 1,519 SDR per passenger, a complaint is made in writing within 7 days for damage and within 21 days for delay, and a claim is brought within two years. An item forgotten in the passenger halls goes to Ben Gurion Lost & Found at the Kerem parking lot.
When Your Bag Did Not Arrive
According to the Israel Airports Authority, baggage that did not arrive, items lost on the plane and items lost in the baggage carousel area are handled by the ground handling company that served the airline you flew with. The desks of all three companies are in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall, opposite belt 3. You can check which company serves your airline with our tool.
El Al writes that a missing bag is reported at the baggage tracing desks in the baggage claim hall before leaving the terminal, and that passengers who did not report it at the airport contact it within 7 days from the flight date through a digital form on its website. Lufthansa recommends staying at the airport until your details have been transmitted and you have received a report number.
The Report Number and Tracking
The report ends with a report number (PIR). In the WorldTracer system it is 10 characters: the airport code, the airline code and a number. Lufthansa gives FRALH12345 as an example. On the WorldTracer tracking page you enter the report number and your last name. El Al links to the same check from its website, and Lufthansa refers passengers to its chat assistant.
According to IATA, in 2022 most mishandled bags were returned within 48 hours.
What the Law Says
Israel has been a party to the Montreal Convention since 20 March 2011, according to ICAO's list of parties. Domestic flights are covered by the Carriage by Air Law, 1980, whose section 5(a) applies the provisions of the Montreal Convention to domestic carriage, with the necessary changes.
- Loss or damage (Article 17): the airline is liable for checked baggage lost or damaged while in its charge, except for damage resulting from an inherent defect of the bag itself.
- Delay (Article 19): the airline is liable for damage caused by delay, unless it proves that it took all reasonable measures to avoid it, or that it was impossible to take them.
- When a bag counts as lost (Article 17(3)): when the airline admits the loss, or when it has not arrived within 21 days after the date it ought to have arrived. From then on the passenger may enforce their rights as for a lost bag.
How Much Compensation
According to ICAO, since 28 December 2024 the limit for baggage that is lost, damaged or delayed is 1,519 SDR per passenger (about US$2,000 according to ICAO). The SDR is a unit of account of the International Monetary Fund. Under Article 22(2), a passenger who made a special declaration of interest at check-in and paid a supplementary sum if required is compensated up to the declared sum.
Israel's Supreme Court (LCA 8456/19, Iberia, 14.6.2022) ruled that the Montreal Convention allows an airline to be held liable for non-pecuniary damage, such as emotional distress, even when the baggage was only delayed. In that case the small claims court ordered Iberia to reimburse the passengers' expenses and to pay ILS 5,000 for the distress, and Iberia's appeal was dismissed.
Complaint and Claim
| Case | Deadline under the Montreal Convention |
|---|---|
| Damaged bag | Complaint within 7 days of receiving the bag (Article 31) |
| Delayed bag | Complaint within 21 days of the day it was handed over (Article 31) |
| Claim | Within two years of arrival at the destination, or of the date the aircraft ought to have arrived (Article 35) |
Under Article 31 a complaint is made in writing. Without a timely complaint no action lies against the airline, except in the case of fraud on its part, and receiving the bag without complaint is prima facie evidence that it was delivered in good condition.
El Al asks for copies of the flight tickets, boarding passes, baggage tags, the delay or damage report from the airport and receipts supporting the claim to be attached to every request, with the originals kept.
According to the Israeli Judiciary, "loss of baggage" is one of the subjects that can be claimed in the small claims court, up to ILS 39,900 (as of 1.1.2026).
Contact Details at Ben Gurion
- QAS: phone 03-9754281, WhatsApp 054-9565002, email lf@qasisrael.co.il
- Laufer Aviation: phone 03-9754072, WhatsApp (messages only) 054-484-3819, email Lost@Lauferghi.com
- Aero Handling: phone 03-9754008, email L_found@aerohandling.com
- El Al: phone and WhatsApp 03-9771150, email bag-info@elal.co.il
Phones and emails according to the Israel Airports Authority, and El Al's according to El Al. El Al's baggage service hours: Phone: Sun-Thu 08:30-17:00, Fri 08:30-13:00, Saturday night 20:00-24:00. WhatsApp: Sun-Thu 16:00-24:00, Fri 13:00-16:00, Saturday night 20:00-24:00.
An Item Forgotten in the Terminal
According to the Israel Airports Authority, an item forgotten or lost in the passenger halls, before or after the flight, goes to Ben Gurion Lost & Found, at the "Kerem" parking lot (the short-term western parking lot), ground floor. It is open Sun-Thu 8:00-20:00, and the Authority asks you to call in advance to make sure the item was found. Telephone support Sun-Thu 10:00-14:00 at 03-9754436. A lost item report form and information about a lost passport or ID are on the Israel Airports Authority lost & found page.
Sources: Israel Airports Authority, Montreal Convention (EUR-Lex), ICAO, Carriage by Air Law (Nevo), Supreme Court of Israel, Israeli Judiciary, IATA, El Al, Lufthansa, WorldTracer.
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