Airlines tear up activists' tickets

A crowd booed staff at Manchester Airport's Jet2 check-in desk after staff tore up travellers' boarding passes for a 10am flight to Tel Aviv - part of an international 1,500-strong "flytilla" to protest Israel's blockade of Palestine.

The project, officially dubbed Welcome To Palestine, is a protest against Palestine's transformation into a "giant prison." Palestinians have no airport and Israeli checkpoints control all access to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The "flytilla" began in 2010 after Israeli commandos boarded a humanitarian aid convoy, killing nine volunteers and wounding dozens more.

But activists said last week that airlines including Jet2, EasyJet and Lufthansa had written to them informing them their tickets had been revoked.

The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign's Mick Napier - one of a dozen protesters arrested by Israeli officials during last year's protest - said he was not surprised.

"This is outrageous, but people are really upbeat.

"We anticipated this and we still hope to get to Israel as planned," he said

The Israeli government has handed a "no-fly list" to several international airlines.

But the airlines on Sunday declined to comment on the claim.

Jet2 said only that it was "legally required" to provide advance passenger information.

"As a result of providing that information, Jet2.com was informed by the Israeli authorities that certain passengers booked to travel on flight LS907 would not be permitted to enter Israel."

But fellow budget airline EasyJet was slightly more forthcoming, saying it was legally obliged to refuse passengers "at the request of the relevant authorities.

"It is the Israeli authorities' decision to refuse these passengers and so we advise anyone affected not to travel to the airport and to contact their local Israeli embassy for further advice."

A statement on the Foreign Office's website said it was "aware" of the campaign but advised against any attempt to enter Israel as part of it.

Israeli authorities did not provide clear information on travel restrictions and breaching them had led to detention and deportation, it added.

rorym@peoples-press.com