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Arkia Cancels Flights to Phuket Amid Security Directives and Ownership Change
Arkia Airlines will cancel its direct flights to Phuket, Thailand, starting in January 2027, following new directives from Israeli security services. The security guidelines prohibit Israeli carriers from operating chartered flights to the destination. Arkia, which currently operates the Phuket route using chartered aircraft, announced that passengers with existing bookings will be contacted personally to arrange alternative solutions. The airline's direct flights to Bangkok are unaffected and will continue to operate as scheduled.
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What happened
- 01Arkia Airlines is canceling its direct flights to Phuket starting January 2027 due to Israeli security directives banning chartered flights by Israeli carriers to the destination.
- 02The airline will personally contact passengers holding bookings for the canceled Phuket flights to offer alternative travel arrangements.
- 03Arkia's direct flights to Bangkok will continue to operate normally as they are not affected by the new security guidelines.
- 04The Phuket cancellation follows recent suspensions of Arkia's routes to Tokyo due to Japanese regulatory issues and Marrakech due to security directives.
- 05The Nakash brothers agreed to sell their controlling stake in Arkia to Kidhan Dahari, Yaron Adib, and Yariv Lerner for a forty-five million dollar capital injection.
- 06Arkia employees, holding twenty-two percent of the company, oppose the sale and have until Tuesday to present a counter-offer to prevent share dilution.
- 07Businessman Ezra Unger has submitted a rival bid to purchase Arkia, offering to let employees keep their shares if the airline stops flying on Saturdays.
This cancellation follows other recent disruptions to Arkia's international routes. In October 2026, the airline canceled planned direct flights to Tokyo after Japanese authorities refused to approve the route using a wet-leased aircraft and crew. Additionally, Arkia suspended its flights to Marrakech, Morocco, due to Israeli security directives.
The route changes coincide with a sensitive ownership transition and internal conflict at Arkia. The current owners, the Nakash brothers, recently signed an agreement to sell their controlling stake to an investor group led by Kidhan Dahari, Yaron Adib, and Yariv Lerner, a deal that includes a forty-five million dollar capital injection. However, company employees, who hold about twenty-two percent of Arkia's shares, oppose the deal over fears of share dilution.
Employee representatives have until Tuesday at five-thirty PM to present a counter-offer. Businessman Ezra Unger has submitted a rival bid to acquire the airline, proposing that employees retain their shares on the condition that Arkia ceases all flights on the Sabbath.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: Globes. Read Globes’s originalThe coverage
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