31 high school students who went on a trip to death camps in Poland are suing Israir airline for 108,000 shekels "for significant delay and emotional distress," according to the lawsuit.
In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday at the Kfar Saba Magistrate Court, it's claimed that the students were part of a Ministry of Education delegation and were supposed to return to Israel from Warsaw Airport on December 8, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. After they passed passport control, they were put on a bus toward the plane, but were returned to the terminal due to a flight delay. The flight was postponed again and again until around two in the morning they were told the flight was cancelled.
The lawsuit states: "During the waiting time at the airport between 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., the plaintiffs were not given drink vouchers and sandwiches, and they had to purchase them with their own money. Worse still, this was an official Ministry of Education delegation, when it's known that among the plaintiffs are kosher observant students who practically couldn't eat anything during the wait, since kosher food couldn't be purchased at the Warsaw airport."
At 2:00 a.m., they were transported to a hotel while their luggage remained on the plane. At the hotel, they didn't have their toiletries or a change of clothes. The lawsuit states: "There were diabetic minors whose insulin injections were in the luggage, which created a serious problem and health danger for them."
At 4:00 a.m., they were required to wake up for the flight, but this time, too, it was delayed and ultimately departed only at 8:30 a.m. Again, it's claimed they didn't provide the students with kosher sandwiches and were given vouchers worth 30 zloty, but they had no option to purchase kosher food at the airport." The lawsuit claims that Israir should compensate the students for the significant flight delay, the expenses they incurred, and the emotional distress they suffered. Israir has not yet filed a statement of defense. Israir stated: "The lawsuit has not yet been properly served to the company; if and when it is served, we will respond accordingly to the court."
