Barcelona Storm Leaves Hundreds of Israelis Stranded

Severe weather in Barcelona disrupted airport operations, leaving hundreds of Israeli travelers stranded and facing lengthy flight delays. Flights to Tel Aviv and other destinations were canceled or postponed for hours, forcing passengers to contend with unexpected changes to their travel plans. Among those affected were passengers on a Blue Bird flight from Barcelona to Tel Aviv, originally scheduled to depart at 8:15 PM. Ari, a passenger on the flight, told Mako that after boarding at 10:20 PM, passengers waited another four hours on the plane before being asked to deplane around 2:00 AM. "They told us it was due to the severe weather, but we also heard the crew had finished their work hours," Ari recounted.

After disembarking, passengers faced further delays, with luggage not returned until 4:00 AM. "There was someone from the company who said she couldn't get us hotel rooms, and everyone should sort themselves out. We didn't even get a voucher for water or food," Ari stated. He added that many passengers had to find their own accommodations in the city, with some waiting until morning to secure rooms. The return flight is now scheduled for nearly 24 hours after the original departure time.

The airline acknowledged the incident, attributing the delay to weather conditions that impacted takeoff capabilities and disrupted crew schedules. The company stated that passengers would be compensated upon their return to Israel.