On Monday, a Turkish Airline flight was supposed to depart from Ben Gurion to Turkey with 40 Chareidi passengers. At the last moment, an airline representative refused to allow the Chareidi passengers to embark on the plane. According to the Chareidim, the reason they were refused was due to their beards and external looks depicting them as Chareidim.
Many of the passengers are Breslov Chassidim or related to a Breslov Chassid. They reserved a connecting flight from Turkey to the capital of Moldova, Kishinev (Chisinau). When the passengers arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in order to go through the Check-in process, the representative from Turkish Airlines refused to allow them to board the plane, because, according to her, they would not be allowed to enter into Moldova, their final destination according to their tickets.
On the spot, the Chareidim began a tumult and told the representative that it was not within the airline’s authority to tell them which countries the passengers are or are not allowed into. Some of the passengers managed to board the flight for Turkey, but more than 40 were left behind in Israel and missed their flight.
Some of the passengers told Kikar Shabbos: “This is a travesty like no other. We bought tickets to Moldova, and the airline agreed to sell us these tickets. After we paid and arrived at the airport, that is when they have a change of heart? So why were other people from Israel, who have a secular look to them, allowed to board the flight? Why is it any of their business whether or not we are planning to travel to Uman?
According to a statement made by Turkish Airlines in response to the article in Kikar HaShabbat, “Some of the passengers were asked to wait so that our staff could transfer the documents received during check-in to the Moldovan authorities so that they could allow the passengers to enter the country. At the end of the situation, all of the passengers were allowed to board the plane.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
From this it sounds like the airline was doing them a service by making sure they’d be allowed into Moldovia before letting them waste their time and money by getting on the plane. Does anyone know more facts about the incident?
& now for 2 incredibly sagacious pieces of advice:-
1) Don’t ever fly Turkish Airlines
2) Don’t ever set foot anywhere in the Ukraine
On the spot, the Chareidim began a tumult and told the representative that it was not within the airline’s authority to tell them which countries the passengers are or are not allowed into
Actually it is. Every international airline is responsible for making sure a passenger will be able to travel to his final destination, wherever it is, and if they can’t be sure of that they will not allow him to board unless he signs a commitment that if he is not allowed to enter his destination he will pay the full price to fly back to his origin immediately (rather than on the date of his return ticket).
turkish airlines ?? are you people crazy? these people change their mood in a split second. someone in Israel by mistake says something bad about them they become crazy. going through an Arab country you need to be out of your mind.
147, I love Turkish airlines. fly wearing a kippah and treated very well. the best airline in Europe. Great lounge in Istanbul.
On August 28, 2020 the Moldavian authorities published a list of 53 “red” countries from which travelers would not be allowed to enter Moldavia because of COVID-19 concerns. Israel is one of those countries. Why do some people have to always assume others are simply anti them? Turkish Airlines has a duty not to transport passengers who have no right to enter the final destination as stated on their ticket. Would the passengers have preferred the Turkish representatives in Tel Aviv allowed them to fly only to later be barred from continuing on from Istanbul? Why do we Yidden have to make ourselves hated? Anyone trying to board a flight to the USA has to show either that he has a valid visa or that he does not need one. If you can’t do that you will not be allowed to board. Period.
@147
Why not fly Turkish Airlines – it is a great ride. Turkish Airlines are not to blame if you fail to check – or just have contempt for – your destination countries entry regulations.
Why not go to Ukraine, of course only when Ukrainian COVID-19 rules permit entry? Many tzaddikim are buried there and many Tzaddikim travel there to their own ancestors kevorim. Are these Rebbes all missing something that only you know?