An Israir flight scheduled to land in Ljubljana, Slovenia, was denied permission to land and diverted to Zagreb, Croatia, Israir said on Wednesday.
The decision was reportedly made by Slovenian authorities, whom the company claims were politically motivated.
Israir's CEO Uri Sirkis stated that this incident violated aviation agreements and EU laws.
Relevant Israeli authorities, including the Foreign Ministry and Civil Aviation Authority, were involved in attempting to find a solution that would allow the flight to proceed as planned, but efforts were unsuccessful, Sirkis said.
Slovenia votes in strongly pro-Israel Jansa as new PM after years of hostility towards Jewish State
Slovenia has voted in a strongly pro-Israel prime minister, marking a striking political shift after Slovenia’s recent hostility towards the Jewish state.
Janez Jansa was re-elected on May 22. This is his fourth time in the role, having previously served from 2004-2008, 2012-2013, and 2020-2022. Jansa leads the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party.
Under Jansa’s predecessor, Robert Golob, Slovenia became one of the most hostile countries towards Israel, alongside Ireland and Spain. In May 2024, Slovenia announced its recognition of a Palestinian state, and in July 2025, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were also sanctioned under his government.
“I approach every new government with cautious hope and democratic respect,” Robert Waltl, director of the Jewish Cultural Center in Ljubljana and one of the leaders of the small Jewish community in Slovenia, told The Jerusalem Post shortly after Jansa's election victory.
Mathilda Heller contributed to this report.