Arkia Flight from Montenegro to Israel Canceled After Hours of Passenger Waiting and Poor Communication

Passengers on an Arkia flight from Montenegro to Israel experienced a prolonged delay at the airport, reportedly without sufficient updates from the airline. Milan Retpen-Schnitzer, a passenger, recounted to Channel 12's "Morning News" that after arriving at the airport following a vacation, they waited near the gate for hours without clear information. Despite multiple calls to Arkia in Israel, she was told the airline had no details since her ticket was purchased through an agent. After nearly five hours, passengers learned the flight was canceled, but this notification came only after they had left the airport.

Following the cancellation, passengers were instructed to collect their luggage and wait for transportation to a hotel, with the flight rescheduled for the next morning. Retpen-Schnitzer described the situation at the airport as chaotic, with no Arkia representatives present during the wait, and passengers left feeling helpless amid intense heat. She noted that while their flight was canceled, other flights at the airport continued operating normally, contradicting the airline's claim that weather conditions caused the disruption.

Arkia responded that due to weather conditions and air traffic congestion in Tivat, the flight was diverted to Tirana, causing significant delays. The airline stated that the crew reached their maximum allowed working hours, preventing the return flight to Israel. Arkia said passengers were informed by station staff and that the company arranged hotels, transportation, meals, and full rights updates for all 102 passengers. They also noted that the passenger in question booked through a travel agent who did not provide Arkia with her contact details. The airline apologized for the inconvenience and emphasized their efforts to manage such uncontrollable events swiftly and safely.