Posted on 04/13/21
| News Source: MATZAV
A sizable group of yeshiva students are currently being detained in Paris and are being prevented from boarding their Air France flight to Tel Aviv. According to airline officials, these students must present proof of medical insurance in Israel. In fact, although it is always recommended to have medical insurance, there is no such requirement forcing passengers to show proof of insurance.
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Chaim V’Chessed has reached out to the Foreign Ministry who has confirmed that this is not an Israeli policy, but rather an Air France requirement. Israeli Embassy officials in Paris are attempting to have this rule revoked. In the meantime, Chaim V’Chessed has suggested a creative work-around for detained passengers:. We have advised them to simply go online and purchase traveler’s insurance policies which will satisfy the Air France requirement.
UPDATE: Air France has conceded that there is no such requirement, and allowed the un-insured passengers to board their flight. However, at this hour, passengers traveling on Air Canada are now being stymied by a similar demand for medical insurance. Chaim V’Chessed representatives are now involved in resolving this misunderstanding by the airline. At the same time, we are advising travelers to immediately purchase travelers insurance policies online.