Man worried about flying on Shabbat sparks security scare, delay, on flight to Tel Aviv

A Wizz Air flight from Rome to Tel Aviv was delayed for several hours on Friday after a passenger, apparently fearful that he would not arrive before Shabbat, sparked a security scare by abruptly demanding to leave the plane just before take off, Hebrew media reported.

The incident began after boarding had been completed, when the passenger suddenly asked to disembark without explaining why, raising the suspicions of the crew and fellow passengers.

“He did not explain himself, he does not give a reason why he wanted to get off,” one passenger told Channel 12,  describing widespread anxiety among those aboard.

The crew called local police, and the man was detained for questioning, while passengers were sent back to the terminal and the aircraft underwent additional security checks.

“Israelis are panicking, angry and frightened,” the passenger said, noting that many children were aboard.

In video posted to social media by passengers, the captain could be heard telling passengers that in light of the incident the flight was going to be canceled and that busses were on their way to take people back to the terminal.

המוקד: דרמה בטיסת וויז מרומא לישראל: הקברניט הודיע על ביטול הטיסה, הנוסעים פונו pic.twitter.com/V6Kh890jvZ

— חדשות המוקד (@hamoked_il) August 7, 2026

Footage also showed passengers standing inside the aircraft as police approached, and later being returned to the terminal.

Ultimately, the passengers were re-screened by security and the flight departed after a delay of several hours.

According to the reports, it later became clear that the man had feared that the flight would not land before the start of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, when observant Jews are prohibited from traveling.

Flight 6043 had been scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport at 6:45 p.m. — shortly before Shabbat — but eventually arrived at around 10 p.m., according to the Walla news site. Shabbat started in Tel Aviv on Friday evening at 7:11 p.m.

Observant Jews do not travel on Shabbat — from sunset on Friday to nightfall on Saturday. Therefore, most observant Jews do not schedule flights that are due to arrive at their destinations close to the start of Shabbat.

In a later statement,  Wizz Air said the flight had been “slightly delayed due to an additional security check” and that passengers were asked to leave the aircraft while it was carried out.

“The safety of passengers and crew remains the company’s top priority,” the airline said.