Arkia CEO appeals for PM, Transportation Minister Regev to find solution as 200,000 Israelis stranded abroad

Arkia CEO Oz Berlowitz is calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Transportation Minister Miri Regev, and the defense establishment to personally intervene in the aviation crisis, as about 200,000 Israelis are stranded abroad without a solution.

“Since the closure of the Israeli airspace following the security escalation, tens of thousands of Israelis have been stranded abroad, with no practical solution and no prospect of return,” says Berlowitz. “I receive hundreds of inquiries a day – from individuals, reserve soldiers, doctors and medical teams, organized groups, some of the largest companies in the economy, parents of small children, patients waiting for treatment, and people who are financially drained due to extended stays in hotels.”

“The government must understand that the current aviation crisis is a national crisis,” he states.

Berlowitz laments that the outline currently being formulated for rescue flights includes “only two landings per hour, and only during the day, which is far from providing a real solution to the situation.”

“At this rate, the return of all Israelis could take many weeks and even longer,” he says.

Berlowitz calls on decision-makers to “update it immediately and enable a broad and significant air bridge back to Israel.”