Thousands of Breslover Chassidim planning to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah are facing growing uncertainty just days before the annual airlift begins, with numerous charter flights sold to passengers still lacking the necessary takeoff and landing slots at Ben Gurion Airport.
The first travelers are expected to begin departing as early as this coming Sunday, yet many passengers who have already paid substantial sums for their tickets are discovering that their flights have not received final slot approval from the Israel Airports Authority.
The situation is becoming an increasingly familiar source of frustration for Uman travelers, with last-minute uncertainty surrounding flights recurring in recent years despite the annual pilgrimage taking place at the same time each year.
The greatest pressure is expected during several critical travel periods, with outbound flights from Ben Gurion Airport concentrated between Sept. 7 and Sept. 10, 2026, and return flights to Israel scheduled primarily between Sept. 14 and Sept. 16.
As of Thursday, a number of airlines — including Electra, Cyprus, SkyUp, Albastar, HiSky and FlyOne — reportedly had yet to receive the required slots for their planned flights.
Foreign airlines are already warning that they may be forced to cancel flights altogether. The carriers say regulatory and operational requirements make it impossible for them to keep aircraft and crews in limbo indefinitely while waiting until the last moment for confirmation.
Among those traveling to Uman, frustration and anxiety are mounting.
“This is simply Chelm, there’s no other word for it,” said Nachman, a Yerushalayim resident who purchased tickets for himself and his two sons. “This trip has existed for almost 40 years. The dates are fixed on the calendar. This coming Sunday people are already beginning to fly, and there are still no approvals! How can it be that the Israel Airports Authority doesn’t prepare for this in advance? Every year we reach the 90th minute and don’t know if we’ll take off. A few years ago, we found ourselves sleeping on the floor of the terminal with small children because of ‘slot’ delays. They simply disregard us because we fly on charters and not with regularly scheduled airlines.”
Another traveler, Chaim of Beit Shemesh, expressed similar anger over the uncertainty.
“We paid thousands of dollars. You can’t play with people like this. We feel that there is no one in the country taking responsibility for us. During summer vacation, Ben Gurion Airport handles tens of thousands of people a day, but when it comes to Uman, suddenly the system collapses.”
With no resolution yet in sight, numerous travelers have contacted Rabbi Nosson Ben Nun, chairman of the United Breslov in Uman organization, as well as activist Reb Levi Yitzchok Gewirtz, asking them to intervene immediately with the Israel Airports Authority.
The problem extends far beyond Ben Gurion Airport because of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
With direct flights into Ukraine unavailable, travelers are expected to fly into neighboring countries, particularly Romania, before continuing overland to Uman.
Romanian and Ukrainian authorities require detailed and finalized transportation plans in advance so they can prepare border crossings, regulate the movement of the large numbers of passengers and arrange security personnel and buses.
Without final departure slots from Ben Gurion Airport, organizers cannot provide authorities in those countries with definitive schedules. That uncertainty threatens to disrupt the entire complex transportation chain needed to move thousands of travelers from Israel to Uman.
Officials familiar with the arrangements warn that unless the Israel Airports Authority resolves the slot issue within the next day or two, large numbers of Chassidim could ultimately find themselves unable to reach Uman for Rosh Hashanah.
Such an outcome could also result in significant financial losses for travelers who have already spent large sums not only on airfare but also on food and accommodations in Uman.
“This is an event that is known about in advance. You can’t operate by putting out fires every year when the flights are about to leave,” said an official involved in organizing Uman travel. “It’s time for the Israel Airports Authority to treat the Uman operation as a regular national event, and not as a surprise that falls on them from the sky.”
{Matzav.com}
