Passenger Sues Swiss Over Second Cancellation After Ben Gurion Strike

A passenger has sued Swiss in Israel this week over the cancellation of a replacement flight after an August disruption at Ben Gurion Airport. The lawsuit seeks several thousand shekels in compensation and expenses after the traveler bought a separate ticket to reach Israel. The dispute began on August 20, when airport operations were halted by a strike and a Swiss aircraft traveling from Zurich to Tel Aviv turned back. According to the claim, Swiss arranged hotel accommodation and told passengers they could fly to Israel the next day. The airline then canceled that flight as well. The passenger alleges that other airlines were already resuming services to Israel, that Swiss did not adequately explain the second cancellation and that it failed to provide a suitable onward journey. He spent Shabbat in Switzerland before Swiss agreed to carry him to Italy. From there, he bought an El Al ticket to Israel for $450. After returning, the passenger requested compensation, which Swiss rejected. His lawsuit seeks compensation under Israel's Aviation Services Law, reimbursement of expenses and exemplary damages. Swiss did not provide a response to an inquiry about the case before the report was published.