A Delta Airlines flight to Israel was delayed after haredi Orthodox men and women deplaned rather than sit next to members of the opposite sex.
The Oct. 20 flight from New York’s Kennedy Airport arrived more than an hour late in Israel due to the incident, the daily Haaretz reported.
After the haredi passengers decided to leave the plane, their baggage had to be removed, causing the delay.
In September, an El Al flight that landed in Israel on the morning of Rosh Hashanah eve was delayed in New York after haredi Orthodox men assigned to sit next to women attempted to switch their seats.
The haredi passengers who could not switch their seats stood up immediately upon takeoff and remained in place throughout the flight, Ynet reported at the time. — jta