Israeli Aviation Law - Passenger Rights & Compensation

TL;DR: Israel's Aviation Services Law (the "Tibi Law") sets cash compensation by flight distance (1,530, 2,450 or 3,670 ILS in the current text) for a passenger whose flight was cancelled or took off at least 8 hours late, regardless of the ticket price. It applies to flights from and to Israel, including foreign airlines and charter flights, and also grants assistance (food, communication, accommodation) from a 2-hour delay. This guide explains when compensation is due, when the airline is exempt, and how the law differs from the European regulation EU261.

What is the Aviation Services Law?

The full name is the Aviation Services Law (Compensation and Assistance for Flight Cancellation or Change of Conditions), 2012. It is known as the "Tibi Law" after Member of Knesset Ahmad Tibi, who initiated the bill (according to the Knesset website).

Which Flights Does the Law Apply To?

• Flights from and to Israel: under the law, a flight taking off from Israel or to Israel, including a flight with a stopover.
• Israeli and foreign airlines: the law applies to any operator carrying passengers for payment from Israel, to it or within it, with no distinction by the airline's country.
• Charter flights: a "flight ticket" under the law includes a confirmation issued by an organizer, even when issued as part of a package tour.
• Domestic flights: the law applies to them too, but monetary compensation on them is given only under rules set by the Minister of Transport (section 18).

Compensation Amounts by Flight Distance

Compensation is set in the law's first schedule by flight distance only. The amounts are updated every 1 January by the consumer price index, and the Ministry of Transport publishes them in the official gazette and on its website. The table shows the amounts in the current text of the law on Nevo (as of 5.2.2026).

The examples follow our own distance calculation from Ben Gurion: Larnaca 340 km, Cairo 392, Antalya 660, Istanbul 1,166, Athens 1,194, Sofia 1,560, Bucharest 1,592, Frankfurt 2,954, Paris 3,285, Madrid 3,545, Delhi and Mumbai 4,046, Bangkok 6,946, New York 9,117, Los Angeles 12,167.

Exemplary damages: in addition, a court may award damages that do not depend on proof of harm, up to 12,240 ILS, if it finds that the airline or organizer knowingly failed to give the benefits the law requires (section 11).

When Am I Entitled to Compensation?

Cancellation and an 8-Hour Delay

Under the law, a "cancelled flight" is a flight that did not operate, or a flight that took off at least 8 hours late from the time on the ticket. A passenger on such a flight is entitled to three things: assistance, a refund or a replacement ticket at the passenger's choice, and compensation by the table.

When Advance Notice Exempts the Airline

• Notice of the cancellation at least 14 days before the flight.
• Notice 7 to 14 days before the flight, plus an offer of an alternative flight departing no more than 2 hours before the original time and landing at the final destination no more than 4 hours after the original time.
• Notice less than 7 days before the flight, plus an offer of an alternative flight departing no more than 1 hour before the original time and landing no more than 2 hours after it.

When the Airline Is Exempt from Compensation

Under section 6(e), there is no monetary compensation if the airline or organizer proves one of three things:

• The flight was cancelled due to special circumstances beyond its control, which it could not have prevented even by doing everything in its power.
• The flight was cancelled due to a protected strike or lockout.
• The flight was cancelled to avoid desecrating the Sabbath or a holiday.

The exemption covers the monetary compensation only. Assistance and the refund or replacement ticket remain.

Flight Moved Earlier

If take-off was moved more than 5 hours and up to 8 hours earlier, with notice given less than 14 days before the flight: a refund or a replacement ticket, at the passenger's choice. Moved more than 8 hours earlier: compensation by the table as well, except in cases of special circumstances or a protected strike.

What Am I Entitled to During a Delay?

• From a 2-hour departure delay: food and drink according to the waiting time, and communication services: two phone calls and sending a message by fax or email.
• From 5 hours to under 8 hours: in addition, a refund or a replacement ticket, at the passenger's choice. A passenger who accepts a replacement ticket for a flight departing the next day is also entitled to accommodation and transport. If the delay was caused by a protected strike or lockout, only a refund, food and drink, and communication are due.
• From 8 hours: the flight counts as cancelled, with all the benefits of a cancellation, including compensation (subject to the exemptions above). Assistance also includes a hotel and transport when an overnight stay is needed.

The European Regulation EU261

European Regulation 261/2004 applies to every passenger departing from an airport in the European Union, on any airline. On a flight from outside the EU into it (for example from Ben Gurion to Europe), it applies only if the operating airline is a European carrier. According to the EU's official website, the rules also apply to flights to and from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. The United Kingdom has its own rules, set in regulations from 2019. EU261 also applies to non-scheduled flights, including package tours.

According to the Court of Justice of the EU (the Sturgeon judgment), compensation for a delay is due when the passenger reached the final destination 3 hours or more late.

Differences Between the Laws

Both laws on the same event: under section 20, a passenger who received a benefit under a foreign law (such as EU261) does not receive a benefit of the same type under the Israeli law.

How to Claim Compensation

• A written request: under the law, the airline or organizer refunds the ticket within 21 days, and pays the compensation within 45 days, from the day the passenger contacted it in writing.
• How it is paid: compensation is paid in cash, by bank transfer or by cheque. Any other form, such as a voucher, only if the passenger explicitly agreed in writing.
• The travel agency: under section 15, a passenger may ask the travel agency the ticket was bought from to help, and the agency contacts the airline.
• Small claims: according to the Israeli government website, a small claim can be up to 39,900 ILS (as of 1.1.2026), including aviation and travel matters, without a lawyer.
• Limitation period: 4 years from the day the cause arose.

Foreign Airlines' Representatives for Court Documents

The Israel Civil Aviation Authority publishes a list of representatives in Israel appointed by foreign airlines operating scheduled and charter flights to receive court documents: documents served in legal proceedings. According to the Authority, delivery to the representative counts as delivery to the airline itself, and the representative's role is not to receive passenger complaints: a compensation request goes to the airline. The list below was copied from the Authority's page on 28.9.2026 (151 airlines; the page was last updated on 5.11.2023). The page itself shows the current version.

Please note: this information is general and is not legal advice.

Sources: the Aviation Services Law (Nevo, current text), the Knesset website, the Israel Civil Aviation Authority, the Israeli government website (small claims), Regulation 261/2004 and the Sturgeon judgment (EUR-Lex), the EU's official website (Your Europe), legislation.gov.uk.