Mauritian authorities declined to grant landing permission to an Air Seychelles flight arriving from Israel on Saturday, resulting in the flight’s cancellation, according to Spirit World Productions, a tourism company involved with the trip. Despite efforts made overnight to secure approval, the refusal remained in place, the company said.

The decision appeared to be influenced by political factors, a spokeswoman for Spirit World Productions indicated. As a result, Air Seychelles had no choice but to cancel the flight to Mauritius.

Tali Yativ, CEO and owner of Spirit World Productions, expressed disappointment over the authorities’ refusal, emphasizing that the decision adversely affected Israeli passengers who are not involved in political issues. “We are saddened and disappointed by the decision not to approve the landing of the flight from Israel in Mauritius,” Yativ said. “We are especially sorry that such a decision was made due to political considerations, directly harming Israeli passengers who have no connection to these decisions.”

Yativ also noted that the company had taken all possible measures up to the last moment to ensure the flight’s departure as scheduled. Efforts are ongoing to support the affected passengers, with coordination between Spirit World Productions and Air Seychelles to provide necessary assistance and resolve outstanding issues related to the cancellation.

No official statement from Mauritian authorities regarding their refusal to permit the landing was publicly available at this time.