Transportation minister warns: Open skies above Bar Refaeli wedding or lose your job
Civil Aviation Authority had sought to put limitations on flight in the area of the supermodel's wedding for safety reasons.
By MOSHE COHEN - MAARIV HASHAVUAUpdated: DECEMBER 13, 2015 11:26Israeli model Bar Refaeli.(photo credit: REUTERS)
The much-talked about wedding of Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli and her fiancee Adi Ezra was scheduled to take place on Thursday, but the drama over whether the skies above the affair will be open to air traffic remained alive less than a day before the event.The request to close the airspace above their wedding venue was originally granted by aviation authorities last week.After the issue became big news in Israel, and the subject of some criticism,Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz instructed authorities to keep the air space open.However, on Tuesday, prior to the onset of Yom Kippur, the Civil Aviation Authority decided that the possibility of flying in the area of the wedding venue would not be cut out completely, but it would be limited.When Katz heard of the decision after Yom Kippur on Wednesday, he issued an ultimatum to the head of the authority: remove all limitations on flight, or lose your job.The new directive published by the Civil Aviation Authority on Tuesday had instructed pilots interested in flying during the hours of the wedding in the area of the Carmel Forest to coordinate with the company, Eden Flight, which has been hired to do the aerial photography for the wedding.The statement added that the company would be operating two helicopters and five unmanned aircraft in the airspace. The statement further added that the the area of the Carmel Forest, which is some 4 kilometers, would be limited to flights up to 3,000 feet from 5 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. for safety reasons.The Transportation Authority released a statement saying that Katz had told the head of the Civil Aviation Authority, Joel Feldschuh: "If the skies above Bar Refaeli's wedding won't be open, you will be removed from your post. The skies belong to the entire public, and exclusivity cannot be granted for commercial reasons for high-profile people. Justice must be done and be visible," he said.
