About 50 Cancer Patients Stranded in Geneva After Arkia Flight Diverted Due to Storm

Approximately 50 participants of the "Mechubarim Plus" association, which supports cancer patients aged 20 to 40, were stranded for hours at Geneva Airport on Monday night after their Arkia flight to Israel was diverted to Lyon due to a storm. The group, accompanied by medical staff, waited at the airport without air conditioning and with limited kosher food, which posed a challenge given their dietary restrictions. According to Yaakov Hershkovitz, the association's CEO who was with the group, they were only transferred to a hotel after 1:00 a.m., and kosher meals arrived around 2:30 a.m. thanks to the help of a local Jew from Geneva. Arkia did not provide transportation to the hotel, forcing the group to take about 15 taxis. The return flight to Israel is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday. However, the delay caused some participants to miss medical treatments and tests planned for that day. Hershkovitz praised the medical and support staff for managing the situation but expressed regret over the ordeal, emphasizing their eagerness to return home and provide security to the participants.