Arkia Cancels Flights to Phuket Amid Ownership Battle
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Arkia Airlines is canceling its flights to Phuket, Thailand, effective January 2027, due to Israeli security directives. This decision coincides with a battle for the airline's ownership, where employee representatives are trying to secure a counter-offer by Tuesday's deadline. Businessman Ezra Unger has expressed interest in purchasing Arkia, with the condition that the airline stops flying on Saturdays.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Arkia Airlines will cancel flights to Phuket, Thailand, starting January 2027 due to Israeli security directives.
- The flight cancellations occur amidst a heated ownership battle for Arkia.
- Employee representatives are seeking alternative investors to submit a counter-offer by Tuesday.
- Businessman Ezra Unger is interested in buying Arkia, conditional on halting Sabbath flights.
- Passengers with existing bookings will be personally contacted with alternative arrangements.
Arkia Airlines will cancel its flights to Phuket, Thailand, starting in January 2027, citing security directives from Israeli authorities. The announcement comes as the airline faces a critical juncture in its ownership transition. Employee representatives are actively seeking alternative investors to present a counter-offer by a deadline of Tuesday at 5:30 PM, aiming to prevent their shares from being diluted by a previously agreed-upon purchase deal with the Nakash brothers.
One of the interested parties is Haredi businessman Ezra Unger, who has previously considered acquiring Arkia and has now submitted a renewed offer. Unger's condition for purchasing the airline is that it cease all flights on the Sabbath. Under his proposal, employees would retain their shares in the company.
The cancellation of the Phuket flights is due to Israeli security services prohibiting Israeli airlines from operating chartered flights to the destination from January 2027. Arkia currently operates its Phuket route using chartered aircraft, necessitating the cancellation of its planned flights from that date.
The airline stated, "In accordance with the instructions of the Israeli security services, starting in January 2027, Israeli airlines are prohibited from operating chartered flights to Phuket, Thailand. As a result of these instructions, Arkia is forced to cancel its planned flights to the destination from that date. Passengers who have booked tickets will be personally updated regarding the solutions and alternatives available to them. It is important to note that the security services' decision pertains only to this destination."
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