Arkia Flight Diverted to Albania Causes Overnight Delay for Passengers from Montenegro

Around 50 Arkia passengers experienced a prolonged and unexpected journey after their flight from Podgorica, Montenegro to Israel was diverted to Tirana, Albania on the night of Sunday. The flight, originally scheduled to depart Podgorica at 20:00, faced multiple delays before it was revealed that the aircraft was unable to land in Montenegro due to an operational issue at the local airport. Instead, the plane was redirected to Tirana, forcing passengers to endure a complicated transfer involving buses shuttling between the two countries.

Passengers who had been waiting in Podgorica were sent by bus to Tirana, while those arriving in Albania were bused back to Montenegro, creating a logistical challenge described as a "musical chairs" scenario across borders. Boarding in Tirana only began around 05:00 the next morning, with some passengers managing to depart for Israel overnight. However, about 50 passengers remained in Tirana and were accommodated in a nearby hotel.

Passengers criticized Arkia for poor communication, lack of sufficient food and drink, and unclear answers from company representatives during the ordeal. Arkia responded by explaining that the diversion was forced by the operational problem at Podgorica airport. The airline stated that passengers were updated and assisted by local representatives, and that notifications were sent to the contact details provided. The incident caused significant delays and disrupted what was supposed to be a routine return flight from vacation in Montenegro.