Overview
- Israir booked passenger flight was denied permission to land in Ljubljana and was diverted to Zagreb after circling, with passengers later routed to Slovenia by ground transport.
- The plane was operated by Croatia’s Trade Air on behalf of Israir, a wet‑lease arrangement that separates the operating carrier from the Israeli airline’s commercial responsibility.
- Israeli officials including the Foreign Ministry, the Civil Aviation Authority, and Transportation Minister Miri Regev publicly condemned the move and opened diplomatic and regulatory efforts to resolve the matter.
- Israir’s director called the refusal a blatant breach of EU aviation agreements while Slovenian bodies have offered technical explanations such as a disputed flight plan and rules on armed security at Ljubljana airport.
- The decision took place during a Slovenian government handover and commentators say a newly forming, more pro‑Israel administration could change policy and ease the dispute.