חוק שירותי תעופה (פיצוי וסיוע בשל ביטול טיסה או שינוי בתנאיה) (תיקון מס' 2 והוראת שעה – חרבות ברזל), התשפ"ה–2025Law on Aviation Services (Compensation and assistance for flight cancellation or change of terms) (Amendment No. 2 and temporary provision – Operation Iron Swords), 2025 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Official summary of the law (Knesset)

The Amendment authorizes the Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, after consulting with the Minister of Economy and Industry and with the approval of the Economic Affairs Committee, to establish by order adjustments regarding the obligations of airlines under the Law to provide benefits to passengers in the event of flight cancellation, delay in departure time, or its advancement, following a declaration of a state of emergency (termed a "special situation" in the Law) that continues for more than 14 days. A "special situation" is defined in the Law as a special situation on the home front, a declaration of a civil emergency event (such as a natural disaster), or a health emergency under the law (such as the situation that prevailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic). According to the Amendment, these are the adjustments the Minister will be authorized to establish by such order in the event a special situation is declared: -Limiting the number of nights an airline will be required to provide lodging for a passenger whose flight was canceled or whose conditions were changed, to a number of nights not less than two nights. The exercise of this authority is conditional on the Minister being convinced that due to the state of emergency there is a significant impact on the supply of flights to and from Israel. -Reducing the obligation of an airline to offer a passenger an alternative flight ticket, provided this concerns an airline that has completely ceased its flights to and from Israel. The Minister will be authorized to establish by order that the company will be subject to an obligation of "approximate performance," meaning the obligation to offer the passenger a flight ticket whose conditions are as similar as possible to the conditions of the original flight, including a flight ticket whose point of departure or destination differs from the original flight, with the aim of helping the passenger reach the destination stated on the original flight ticket issued to them. -Reducing the advance notice period for flight cancellation or its advancement by more than eight hours, and canceling the passenger's right to compensation for such cancellation or advancement, if the Minister is convinced that due to the state of emergency the airlines' ability to plan their flight schedules has been significantly impaired. It was further established that airlines and travel agencies must notify passengers who purchased a flight ticket before the order was established, of the adjustments to their rights set out in such order. In addition, the Amendment establishes a temporary provision regarding the "Iron Swords" war, under which adjustments were set to the benefits airlines are required to provide passengers due to flight cancellation, delay in departure, or its advancement. Under the temporary provision, a passenger who purchased a flight ticket whose departure time fell within one of the periods detailed below (set due to significant security events that occurred during them) is not entitled to monetary compensation for cancellation or advancement of the flight: 7 October 2023 to 30 November 2023; 12 April 2024 to 18 April 2024; 3 August 2024 to 8 August 2024; 1 October 2024 to 5 October 2024. It was further established that a passenger who purchased a flight ticket whose departure time is between 1 December 2023 and 29 February 2024 will not be entitled to compensation due to cancellation or advancement of the flight date, if the airline proved that it notified the passenger of this 3 days in advance. It was also established that these adjustments will not apply to compensation claims filed before this Amendment entered into force, in which the court decided that the passenger is entitled to compensation under the Law. In addition, it was established that during the period in which the declaration of a state of emergency due to the "Iron Swords" war remains in effect, airlines that have completely ceased their flights to Israel are obligated to offer the passenger a flight ticket whose conditions are as similar as possible to the conditions of the original flight, including a flight ticket whose point of departure or destination differs from the original flight, or alternatively to refund the price paid for the flight ticket. This is intended to help the passenger reach the destination stated on the original flight ticket issued to them.

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