Airlines Demand That the State Bear the Expenses Incurred Due to the Closure of the Skies

What the Carriers Are Demanding

The petitioners are requesting an urgent hearing and an order requiring Transportation Minister Miri Regev to explain why she did not use the powers established in the amendment to the Aviation Services Law. These powers include the option to limit the number of days for which airlines must fund assistance to passengers. The case number and the date on which the petition was filed are not specified in the source.

Which Expenses Are at the Center of the Dispute

The obligation concerns lodging, food, beverages and transportation that passengers paid for themselves while waiting for an opportunity to return to Israel. The airlines argue that during a complete and prolonged closure of the skies, they could not offer alternative flights and did not know when flights would resume. In their view, the state should bear responsibility for the shutdown of Ben Gurion Airport and the related expenses.

The Legal Basis for the Petition

The carriers rely on Section 9A of the Aviation Services Law, as worded in Amendment No. 2. They argue that this provision gives the transportation minister a mechanism for adapting the payment framework to emergency circumstances, but that it was not invoked after Operation “Roar of the Lion.” As an alternative to a full exemption, the airlines seek to limit the funding of passenger assistance to two nights.

Scale of the Alleged Damage

According to the data cited in the report, the total damage to the aviation industry is estimated at one billion shekels, or $380 million, while El Al reported damage totaling $150 million. During the operation, approximately 40,000 departures were canceled—about 100 flights per day. Dozens of class actions and thousands of claims are pending in the magistrates’ courts and small claims courts.

No Decision Has Yet Been Issued

The source also reports a similar petition filed in December 2025 after the skies were closed for 12 days during Operation “Rising Lion”; it is estimated that the proceedings may be consolidated. However, the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the petition described, or at least no such outcome is specified in the original material.

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