Rainier passengers on a flight from Hungary to Israel were removed from the plane after the local government did not approve the plane taking off to Israel • They are now stuck at the airport

• Rainier aircraft // Photo: Reuters

Yesterday a directive was issued stating that Israeli passport holders will not be able to enter Hungary due to the spread of the Corona virus and probably also due to the rate of expansion in Israel. Today, a few dozen Israelis arrived in Budapest, including many medical students studying in Hungary, intending to return to their homes in Israel.

After already boarding the plane and just before take-off, dozens of Israelis were told that they would not be able to take off because the Hungarian government did not allow the plane that visited Israel to return, even when empty of passengers, to Hungary. Their condition was that the plane should be disinfected in Israel, but Brainier told the passengers that Israel was not prepared to disinfect the aircraft. It is unclear to whom Rainier referred the charge, but when examined by several sources, no such request was received by the Irish airline.

Israeli passengers were taken off the plane, and after about eight hours waiting for their flight to Israel, they received a total of € 4 voucher for food purchases, and were soon informed that their flight was canceled and that they could not return to Israel. Passengers who were on the plane contacted the Israeli Embassy in Hungary at these moments trying to find a solution in front of El Al. This issue is also met with quite a few logistical difficulties in trying to find solutions to bring Israelis back to Israel.

Eden Friedman, who is at the Budapest airport, said in a conversation with Israel today: "We waited two hours for the plane and then another few good hours at the airport and the Hungarians claim it is because Israel is not ready to disinfect the plane. Apparently there will be no flights to Israel anymore and we don't have many options. We are trying to solve this problem and we really hope that everything will be fine, we just want to go home. "

The case reached the top echelons of El Al and although it is a Rainier flight, El is currently trying to find a solution through a different route, possibly with a third-country connection flight, with the goal of returning those dozens of Israelis back to Israel.