The carrier has now received a medal from the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation (AJCF).
The award recognises what the foundation described as an “extraordinary act of compassion and moral leadership”.
A coffin containing the body of Rabbi Eli Schlanger arrives at the Chabad of Bondi Synagogue during his funeral in Sydney, Australia, December 17, 2025 (Credit: George Chan/Getty Images)Getty Images
Managers at Los Angeles International Airport secured approval to delay the Sydney flight’s departure, despite the operational pressure to maintain an on-time schedule for long-haul international flights.
The airline also arranged for Rutman’s domestic flight to arrive at a gate just two gates from the Sydney departure in LA, moved him to a seat near the front of the aircraft so he could disembark first, and escorted him directly to his onward flight.
When efforts to transfer his existing ticket from the original carrier proved unsuccessful, American Airlines waived the fare altogether and flew him to Sydney free of charge.
The Sydney service ultimately departed just 46 minutes behind schedule.
Speaking in a video released by the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, Rutman said: “I was so in awe of what American [Airlines] was doing. You could see their open hearts. They felt the pain of the Jewish nation that day.”
AJCF’s Medal of Valor was presented at the foundation's annual dinner in New York, with the organisation praising the airline for demonstrating empathy at a time of profound grief.
"American Airlines stands apart because this recognition was never about correcting a failure," the foundation's director general, Jack Simony, said.
"Following the antisemitic terrorist attack, American Airlines and its employees responded with extraordinary compassion."
The airline has also recognised the employees involved, including Los Angeles control centre manager Mohamed Najjar, customer care manager Zak Rakrouki and managing director of LAX operations Radney Robertson, who authorised the decision to hold the Sydney flight.
Rabbi Shlanger (centre) was fatally shot when terrorists opened fire in Sydney (Credit: Chabad)[Missing Credit]
Robertson later said the decision was unusual given the commercial importance of on-time departures, particularly on international routes, but became straightforward once he understood the circumstances, that the customer was “distraught after this tragic event”.
"It was really a no-brainer," he said. "Let's do this."
He added: “The real heroes are Zak [Rakrouki] and Mo [Najjar]. They were on duty when this happened. I made the decisions because they provided me with really good information.”
Rabbi Schlanger, 41, was a well-known assistant rabbi at Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi. He was brought up in Temple Fortune in north-west London.
He was a key organiser of Chabad of Bondi’s annual “Chanukah by the Sea” event on the first of the holiday’s eight nights.
