Slovenia reviews Israil permit while Tel Aviv flights remain operational

Direct flights between Ljubljana and Tel Aviv are scheduled regularly from late May to late October despite an Israir permit delay, as Croatian carrier Trade Air has stepped in on behalf of the Israeli airline.

Slovenian pro-Palestinian activists call on the authorities to revoke the permit, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

There has been speculation that the Infrastructure Ministry, led by outgoing minister Alenka Bratušek, has already revoked Israir's permit to provide the service, but speaking to the news portal Info 360, the ministry has denied that.

Instead, the procedure to renew the permit, which was first issued in 2003, appears to have been delayed, with the ministry saying that a decision on the application - which was usually approved in spring or late winter in recent years - is still pending.

The ministry confirmed to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) that Israir's previous permit was valid from 26 February to 25 October last year.

Security protocols reportedly under review

The development is reportedly linked to an ongoing review of security protocols involving Israeli security personnel. The ministry said it had requested detailed information from Israir to ensure that all security measures and operational procedures fully comply with Slovenian national regulations and recent government decisions.

These include a government decision from July last year banning the export and transit of military weapons and equipment from or through Slovenia to Israel, as well as their import from Israel.

Furthermore, in September last year, the now outgoing government revoked a 2003 decree that had permitted Israeli security officers to carry handguns and ammunition at Ljubljana's international airport during the operation of Israeli-registered airlines.

The revocation followed pressure from a coalition of more than 20 NGOs and the Left, at the time a junior coalition party, over the situation in Gaza.

At the time of the revocation, the police clarified that existing rules only permitted the armed guards on board the aircraft, not within the airport terminal itself, and that the guards held no official police powers on Slovenian territory.

Israir hires Trade Air

The service remains active amid the delay. A flight from Tel Aviv to Ljubljana and the return one were operated by Trade Air on 26 May, and further flights are scheduled up to three times a week, the Ljubljana airport operator Fraport Slovenija has told the STA.

Also speaking to the STA, Trade Air CEO Marko Cvijin said that the company had been hired by Israir last week. Trade Air will operate a few more flights between Ljubljana and Tel Aviv until the Israeli carrier obtains the necessary permits from Slovenian authorities. Cvijin added that as an EU-based carrier, Trade Air "did not need to obtain any prior permission from the Slovenian state".

Tickets for the Ljubljana-Tel Aviv flights remain available for purchase on Israir's website, which lists the Israeli airline as the transport organiser, Info 360 reported.

Meanwhile, the Movement for the Rights of Palestinians, a Slovenian civil initiative, has issued a press release calling for the "immediate revocation" of Israir's permit. The organisation cited recommendations by the International Court of Justice and Slovenia's obligations under international law, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

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