The airline said authorization for the flight had been obtained several months earlier but was withdrawn shortly before the scheduled departure.
By Shula Rosen
Mauritius refused landing permission for an Air Seychelles charter flight from Israel on Saturday, forcing the flight to be canceled over what the Israeli tour operator said were “political and diplomatic considerations.”
The flight, organized by Israeli boutique travel agency Spirit World Productions, was scheduled to leave Ben Gurion Airport for Mauritius.
The company said authorization for the flight had been obtained several months earlier but was withdrawn shortly before the scheduled departure.
Spirit World Productions said attempts to resolve the issue and obtain clearance from Mauritian authorities were unsuccessful.
Ynet reported that the Air Seychelles aircraft could not depart Israel because it lacked permission to land at its destination.
Mauritian authorities have not commented on why clearance was denied.
Sources familiar with the matter told Israel’s Channel 12 that the decision was connected to the absence of the Mauritian delegation during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the UN General Assembly earlier in the week.
No official Mauritian statement confirming that connection was provided.
Spirit World Productions said it was coordinating with Air Seychelles and relevant authorities to make alternative arrangements for passengers affected by the cancellation or provide refunds.
The company maintained that all required approvals had been secured well ahead of the scheduled trip and attributed the last-minute reversal to political and diplomatic factors.
The cancellation prevented the charter flight from leaving Ben Gurion Airport as scheduled Saturday.
Air Seychelles had been contracted by Spirit World Productions to operate the service between Israel and Mauritius.
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