Hundreds of Israeli and Jewish travelers who were to arrive in Israel on the eve of Shemini Atzeret (Sunday night) were told they would have to spend the Jewish holiday in New York after a critical part of their plane reportedly got damaged.
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The El Al Boeing 787 was originally scheduled to depart New York early on Sunday, but during the loading of luggage, part of the aircraft apparently got broken, passengers said.
The passengers, who were deboarded from the plane after having already been seated for two hours, were told the flight would be delayed by at least 48 hours due to the required service to the plane and due to the Jewish holiday.
For some passengers, this means they would only be able to fly after 72 hours. Jews who live outside Israel celebrate Shemini Atzeret for two days: Monday and Tuesday.
