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After a recent death here in South Africa it arose in conversation that there is a problem for mourners to fly on the same plane as the body to its burial in Israel. Aside from Kehuna issues (which AFAIK are dealt with by El Al) I can't think what would require them to catch a different plane as the body. Does anyone know what this is about?

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FYI, there is not universal agreement that the Kehuna issues are "dealt with by El Al". See connectionsmag.co.il/articlenav.php?id=395 . – Avrohom Yitzchok Nov 18 '11 at 11:16
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And here I thought this was a question about souls traveling in extra dimensions :) – avi Nov 19 '11 at 20:56

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In “Mourning in Halachah”, Rabbi C B Goldberg, ArtScroll, 1991, p82, it says “If a family member is accompanying the deceased on a ship airplane or auto” and goes on to deal with the laws on aninus in this case. The same Halachah is brought in the original Hebrew sefer para 61.

It seems to follow that according to Rav Goldberg, there is nothing wrong with the family member accompanying the deceased.

There is an obligation to watch over the deceased, p 56, until the burial.

Further, there is a mitzvah to accompany the deceased see p127-130 and here.

Is it possible that the original suggestion was in error?

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I am inclined to agree that there is no real substance to the idea. I can't think where it came from, but there have been other incorrect ideas from my source, which is why I questioned it. – Michael Sandler Nov 21 '11 at 6:48

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