Overview
- Dozens of travelers on a Bluebird Airways charter to Crete remained onboard for about an hour and 40 minutes to two hours with reported loss of cabin air conditioning, and several passengers, including small children, showed signs of heat-related distress.
- Passengers say they banged on doors, opened the rear door to seek relief, and contacted police before the aircraft received clearance to depart, and footage shows parents using wipes and ice to cool children.
- Bluebird Airways said crews sometimes must keep an aircraft ready for immediate clearance so it does not lose its takeoff slot, while the Israel Airports Authority blamed heavy traffic, European airspace restrictions around Greece, and U.S. aerial refueling operations for the delays.
- Ben Gurion officials denied the disruptions were caused by strikes or staffing shortages, and local reports say Bluebird may face a hearing over a wider pattern of two-hour average delays on some of its flights.
- Separately, El Al confirmed it canceled planned Tel Aviv–Hanoi service after Israeli security authorities, including the Shin Bet, did not grant the required approvals, highlighting how regulatory clearances can alter route plans even after tickets are sold.