I guess waiting on the plane is probably easier halachically than waiting in the airport. Regarding בכדי שיעשו, I think they would only had to wait whatever they flew in shabbos which is probably just an hour.
You can argue here that the pilot is a mechalel shabbos for himself, as he will anyway do it. Why are a lot of people in Israel not so makpid on the use of electric on shabbos which I think it is more chilul shabbos involved and done more frequently as a one time emergency.
I am quite positive that whatever elal will have to pay for the fine it's still a fraction of what it cost them the past week.
As you quoted Reb Moshe, was that a לכתחילה לצורך חולה meaning the person knew before reserving that he will arrive on shabbos but due to צורך חולה it was OK or was it a combination delay and a צורך חולה?
Again I am not a Rav. Also we are not talking here לכתחילה as it would be costly for elal to have to prepare food and other logistics through shabbos, plus they won't be able to prepare the aircraft for the moitzai shabbos flight and it will have to be delayed for a few hours.
The only heter for using electricity in Israel on shabbos is because they are doing it for חולים and cases of פיקוח נפש. Not the fact they are doing it anyway. If only your building was cut off and the electric company came to fix it on shabbos, לכולי עלמא you couldn’t use it or enjoy it.
I’m not sure the exact amount of the fine. I definitely know the contract was made so it should never be worthwhile for them to fly on shabbos. (Otherwise they would’ve continued to TLV. They don’t love us so much to put everyone up in ATH just for PR)
The psak from R’ Moshe was for someone who’s father was sick in South Africa and he was needed there to help. R’ Moshe allowed him to board a Friday flight, arriving shabbos, in order for him to be available immediately after.
Your example from the boat doesn’t have to go back 2000 years. Any of our ancestors who came from Europe traveled more then a week by boat.
I suggest we keep halachic discussions low if we don’t want mods to get upset.😉