Israir flight 6H755, en route to Ljubljana, Slovenia, was forced to change course and land in Zagreb after Slovenian authorities refused to permit the Israeli carrier to land, according to company CEO Uri Sirkis. The decision, he alleged, was driven by sharp political opposition to the operation of the route by an Israeli airline.
Sirkis described the move as highly irregular, arguing it constitutes a flagrant violation of aviation agreements between Israel and the EU. Those agreements, he said, are meant to ensure equal and fair access for airlines operating between member states.
Israel has treated the incident with severity. In recent days, the Foreign Ministry, the Civil Aviation Authority, and other officials have been involved in efforts to resolve the crisis. Despite outreach to Slovenian authorities, attempts to allow the flight to proceed as planned failed, and the aircraft was forced to land in Croatia.
The incident is expected to generate diplomatic friction on both the aviation and diplomatic fronts, particularly given that Slovenia is among the EU member states signed onto open-skies agreements with Israel. Officials warned it could also encourage other EU member states to follow suit.
Passengers aboard the flight were informed of the change in destination during the journey. As of now, it is unclear when – or whether – direct flights on the route will resume.
