Arkia Airlines, the Israeli carrier, is set to introduce direct flights to Chisinau, Moldova, in response to a request from the Moldovan government. The development comes as a solution to increasing appeals from Moldovan citizens seeking assistance with evacuation, particularly in light of recent flight cancellations for safety reasons.
During an official meeting with Arkia Airlines’ director, Gadi Tepper, Moldovan Ambassador Roytman successfully negotiated the launch of direct flights between Tel Aviv and Chisinau, offering cost-effective options to travelers. The new flight service is scheduled to commence on November 2.
Ambassador Roytman emphasized the growing number of inquiries received by Moldova’s diplomatic representation from Moldovan citizens in Israel, all requesting support for their safe return. Just last week, Moldova’s HiSky airline suspended flights on this route due to security concerns. Consequently, flights in this direction are currently being managed solely by Moldova’s Flyone airline.
According to Moldova’s government statistics, approximately 20,000 Moldovan citizens are officially registered in Israel, with the majority being labor migrants. Since October 7, over 1,200 individuals have returned to Moldova from Israel, with an additional several hundred turning to the Moldovan Embassy for evacuation assistance.
Ilan Shor, a Moldovan opposition figure, has also played a crucial role in organizing repatriation flights from Israel to Moldova. Shor revealed that over 2,000 people have reached out to him seeking assistance in returning to Moldova. The collective efforts of Arkia Airlines, Moldova’s government, and Ilan Shor aim to ensure the safe and affordable return of Moldovan citizens from Israel during these challenging times.
