Time for evening prayer when flying eastward over Greenland and the sun doesn’t set?

Question

(This is the “return" question for my question on the right time for shaharis when encountering sunrise twice in a day)

In the summer, when flying from the East Coast to Tel Aviv on an afternoon flight, there are routes (flying North over Greenland) when the sun never sets. One leaves early afternoon from New York, flies over Greenland by the time evening comes and the sun stays up until morning over Europe.

In such a case does one need to pray arvit? Last time I was on such a flight we took a Southern route (middle of the Atlantic on to Spain) and the night did set so there was no issue. But I was prepared to skip arvit and felt bad in anticipation.

I could not find anyone addressing the question directly. Do we have sources on the topic or did anyone ask a rav?

Answer 1

I have now asked different rabanim this question since I asked it here. Simple answer is that one is patur from kiriat shema and arvit if one doesn't encounter the night on such a flight.

One interesting answer was offered by R Ari Wasserman who told me he personally heard from R Gedalia Finkel (a rav in Mir Yerushalaim and the brother of R Nosson Tzvi Finkel) who asked R Chaim Kanievski if someone should change his flight (at a cost of 700$) to avoid a "night flight with no night" since he would miss kriat shema. R Kanievski answered it was worth doing so.

R Wasserman adds this is a chidush and a chumra of midat hasidut since there is no formal obligation.