+1
As long as it puts the facts the way they are (that ELAL doesn't care about Shabbos, and doesn't respect their paying customers, especially if they appear "chareidi"), and faults Shomrei Shabbos for booking/boarding those flights except in cases of true emergency.
On that note, while I am sure Rabbi Sorotzkin's intentions were good, wouldn't he have done better calling on everyone NOT TO BOARD THE FLIGHT, rather than taking steps to ensure that everyone can be accommodated for Shabbos wherever the plane might land?
Isarel News10 Channel is publishing what is allegedly the report from the pilot (captain?):
https://www.10.tv/news/176528In that report it says (presumably referring to Rabbi Sorotzkin):
רב ממחלקת העסקים וביקש לדבר בכריזה עם אותם חרדים ולשכנע אותם להמשיך בטיסה: "הוא מסביר להם שזה בסדר להגיע לארץ שעה לפני השבת, ושהם יקבלו אש"ל. אותם חרדים מתרצים".
Given all the information coming out, and giving the benefit of the doubt to everyone, here is how I think the situation should have been handled, and would have been a POSITIVE customer-relations and PR experience:
Since boarding began about 2 hours late, which means that had there been no additional delays and flight would run just 2 hours behind schedule, it would have arrived about 2:30 hours before Shabbos.
EVERYONE should have been given a written and verbal notice in Hebrew, English and Yiddish PRIOR TO BOARDING stating the following:
Due to the delayed start, the flight is scheduled to arrive only X:XX before Shabbos. This is true only if EVERYONE decides to board, and there are no additional delays which are beyond anyone's control.
Once the doors to the flight are closed, the flight will take off, and no-one will be allowed to deplane. Every effort will be made to land in TLV no later than 30 minutes before sunset. If that is the case, arrangements will be made for passengers who wish to spend the Shabbos at LLBG. If it is discovered at any point that it is impossible to land 30 minutes or more before sunset in TLV, the plane will be diverted to a (yet to be determined, depending on timing) location in Europe, where accommodations will be made for those who choose to spend Shabbos there and they will continue to TLV within 6 hours after Shabbos is over. Alternative flights will be made available for those who wish to continue to TLV before Shabbos is over.
If given such a notice in advance, where the potential problems can and should be anticipated, expectations will be set right, and emotions should be under control.
IMHO most frum passengers would choose not to fly. If any of them checked in luggage, that would cause an additional substantial delay, retrieving the luggage (unless somehow there's a way around that - but IMHO it's bad enough flying on a Thursday evening, no shomer shabbos should have checked luggage on such a flight), but that might actually lessen the load on the plane and possibly allow faster flying time. (I wonder what Rabbi Sorotzkin would have publicly said or personally done if given such a notice.)
ELAL would come out a winner, trying to help keep Shabbos and caring for their passengers, the immediate financial cost would probably be lower, and the reputational cost would definitely be lower, and possibly even a gain in reputation.
Such a notice would also allow the person traveling along with a deceased, to call up their LOR and ask what they should do.
