Overview
- Arkia, which announced the cancellations Sunday, said Jordan stopped granting approvals for some departures from Aqaba that used chartered European aircraft bound for Europe and Bangkok.
- The halt left hundreds of Israeli travelers stuck at Aqaba Airport with no airline representative, no water or food, and losses from missed connections and hotel bookings, according to passenger accounts.
- Israeli aviation and security officials began talks with Jordanian counterparts to restore the necessary flight permits and reopen the blocked routes.
- Arkia said it is shifting part of its operations to Egypt’s Taba Airport subject to approvals, and it reported buses and staff were helping passengers for at least one flight moved there.
- Aqaba had served as a backup to Israel’s Ben‑Gurion Airport, where wartime rules cap outbound flights at 50 passengers, so the new limits could snarl pre‑Passover travel and expose gaps in regional charter rules.