Moldova denies pilgrimage transit to Uman amid airport limits
The Republic of Moldova has announced that it will not facilitate the transit of Jewish pilgrims to Uman, Ukraine, this year.
The government cites several reasons for this decision, including the limited capacity of Chișinău International Airport, security concerns, and the failure of pilgrimage organisers to fulfil their financial obligations. Specifically, these organisers have not yet settled their outstanding debts for additional services provided to the pilgrims in 2023.
Israeli authorities have informed the Moldovan government that the pilgrimage to Uman is a private initiative and does not involve financial commitments for additional costs related to organisation, such as separate corridors or special facilities at the airport, according to Daniel Vodă, advisor to the Prime Minister. Despite promises from Israeli organisers to pay the outstanding debts from 2023, the sum of over 2.5 million lei has not yet been transferred to the State Treasury.
The Chișinău government also points to the limited capacity of the airport, which is currently experiencing a significant increase in the number of flights and passengers compared to last year. Given the airport's limited capacity to process passengers per hour, the Civil Aviation Authority has transparently informed the Israeli authorities that it cannot approve additional flight requests on short notice. This request was received last week, and there had been no prior notification about the requested routes. Consequently, the ticket sales reported in the Israeli press occurred without obtaining the necessary approvals in accordance with international civil aviation standards.
The Executive further notes that it has communicated to the organisers the impossibility of accommodating their requests due to risk assessments and technical parameters of organisation that are still being finalised. The considerations of the Chișinău authorities are based on objective factors related to the airport’s capacity, security concerns, and the unfulfilled commitments by the organisers. Ensuring the proper functioning of the infrastructure remains a constant priority for the authorities, as stated by Daniel Vodă.
In response to Chișinău's refusal, organisers of Jewish communities in Ukraine have indicated that, after "months of negotiations," they might instead fly to Poland and Romania and then cross into Ukraine by land, according to Haaretz.
It is noteworthy that, in 2023, over 15,000 Israeli citizens travelled to Ukraine via the Republic of Moldova. Recently, Israel announced that it would pay Moldova 700,000 shekels (over 3.3 million lei or over 170,000 euros) for the services provided last year. Israelinfo reported that this payment would ensure that Moldova would permit this year’s passage of pilgrims intending to reach the Ukrainian city of Uman. According to the source, the over 3.3 million lei were spent on strengthening security measures and hiring additional security agents at Chișinău International Airport.
Translaion by Iurie Tataru
