The Media Line: Israeli Flight Forced to Croatia After Ljubljana Landing Refusal 

Israeli Flight Forced to Croatia After Ljubljana Landing Refusal 

By The Media Line Staff 

An Israir flight from Israel to Ljubljana was diverted to Zagreb, Croatia, on Wednesday after Slovenian authorities refused to allow the Israeli carrier to land, triggering an aviation and diplomatic dispute over alleged political interference in an EU open-skies route. 

Israir said flight 6H755 was already en route to Slovenia when it was forced to change course. Passengers were informed during the trip that the aircraft would land in Croatia instead of its planned destination. 

Uri Sirkis, Israir’s CEO, accused Slovenian authorities of blocking the flight because of political opposition to Israel. “The Israir flight scheduled for Ljubljana had to land in Zagreb because the authorities in Ljubljana are refusing Israeli carriers to land, due to their firm political opposition to the route operated by the Israeli government. This is a blatant violation of EU air agreements,” he said. 

Israeli officials treated the incident as a serious breach of aviation norms. The Foreign Ministry, the Civil Aviation Authority, and other Israeli officials were involved in efforts to secure permission for the flight to continue to Ljubljana, but the attempt failed. 

The dispute comes during a political transition in Slovenia. The outgoing government was sharply critical of Israel, while the incoming government is expected to take a friendlier approach. It remains unclear whether direct Israir flights to Ljubljana will resume or when the route might return to normal. 

The incident adds another strain to Israeli-European aviation ties at a time when political disputes over Israel’s conduct have increasingly spilled into areas beyond diplomacy. Slovenia recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 under Prime Minister Robert Golob’s government and, the following year, declared Israeli Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich personae non gratae. 

For Israel, the concern is larger than one diverted flight. Officials fear that if political considerations are allowed to override aviation agreements, other European countries could follow Slovenia’s example, creating uncertainty for Israeli carriers and passengers across the continent.