An Israeli nonprofit organization reported that approximately 50 young adults undergoing cancer treatment were stranded overnight in Switzerland after weather disrupted their return flight to Israel. The group, returning from a therapeutic program in the Swiss Alps organized by Connected Plus - which serves Israeli cancer patients ages 20 to 40 - faced hours at Geneva Airport before hotel accommodations could be secured.
The Arkia-operated flight was unable to depart as scheduled when weather conditions forced the aircraft to divert to Lyon, France, according to Connected Plus chief executive Yaakov Hershkowitz. Participants, along with accompanying medical staff and volunteers, remained at the airport for several hours before learning they would not depart that evening. Early morning transfer to a hotel followed.
Sourcing kosher meals for religiously observant travelers presented an overnight challenge, with the Jewish community in Geneva ultimately providing assistance. The presence of cancer patients and a medical team complicated logistics for finding accommodations and transportation.
The rescheduled flight departed Tuesday afternoon. Hershkowitz noted that some participants missed scheduled medical appointments in Israel as a result of the delay, though care and support from staff and volunteers continued throughout the disruption. Arkia had not publicly commented on the incident as of Tuesday.