Flight delays after religious fundamentalists refuse to sit next to women

A total of 26 ultra-Orthodox Jews refused to sit next to women on a plane on Friday, causing 40 minutes' delay of the Austrian Airlines' flight scheduled from Israel to Austria.

"The flight crew tried to convince them, but nothing helped," a passenger told Hebrew language website Ynet. "The captain had to get out of the cockpit and managed to persuade some women to move to other places."

Some passengers missed connection flights from Vienna because of the delay.

A week ago, staff of the Israeli airline El Al moved women from their seats after four ultra-Orthodox men refused to sit next to them on a flight from New York to the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

Following the incident, El Al promised that passengers who refuse to sit in their places would be removed immediately from the plane.