Israel's Israir Ordered to Compensate Family Stranded in Zanzibar

A family vacationing in Zanzibar in June 2025 turned into a costly ordeal when their return flight was canceled due to Israel's "Operation All in its Wings" and the subsequent closure of Israeli airspace. The family, who had purchased round-trip tickets from Israir for approximately NIS 12,200, were informed by the airline on June 16 that their flight, scheduled for two days later, was canceled. Israir offered either a refund of NIS 5,027 or a voucher with a 10% bonus for future use. The family opted for the voucher but ended up returning to Israel on June 27 via a separate Flydubai flight, costing them NIS 12,245. They also claim to have incurred thousands of shekels in expenses for food, drink, and lodging during their nine-day unexpected stay, without any assistance from Israir.

The family filed a lawsuit in the Herzliya Small Claims Court seeking NIS 25,907, which included reimbursement for their self-funded assistance services (NIS 6,162), the difference in cost for the alternative flight tickets (NIS 12,245), and NIS 7,500 in compensation.

Israir argued that the flight cancellation was due to exceptional security circumstances, constituting a force majeure under aviation law, thus exempting them from statutory compensation. They also contended that the passengers were not entitled to assistance services as they did not present themselves at the check-in counter and that airlines should not be obligated to fund independent ticket purchases by passengers during wartime.

However, Judge Boaz Ben-Ameti largely rejected Israir's claims. While acknowledging that the cancellation was due to circumstances beyond the airline's control and thus no statutory compensation was due, the judge ruled that this did not absolve Israir of its obligation to provide assistance such as food and lodging. The judge dismissed the argument about not appearing at check-in, stating that passengers are not required to do so if the flight is already canceled. The court found the family's extended stay was unavoidable and awarded them full reimbursement for assistance services, totaling NIS 6,140, minus medication costs.

The court also found a calculation error regarding the original ticket refund, awarding the family an additional NIS 516. Furthermore, Israir was ordered to pay NIS 2,500 in exemplary damages for failing to return undisputed amounts, including $150 per passenger agreed upon with the Ministry of Transport, deeming this a willful violation of the law. In total, Israir was ordered to pay the family NIS 9,156, plus NIS 500 in court costs.