You wrote it – Haaretz at its best. Go believe them.
FYI NO ONE coerces women to move. Not a one!
One airline may be more accommodating than another to the sensitivities of the religious and merely request a passenger relocate, whether male or female. (As much as the media would like to portray us – and have some of us believe, this is nothing against WOMEN, just an attempt to keep male apart from female)
A request – that’s all. I’ve seen it dozens of times. In a non El Al flight. Everyone has a right to refuse. But Baruch HaShem there aren’t so many Anti-Orthodox (bedavkaniks), so some (most) will accede.
Some airlines such as that will refuse to accommodate at all (sit where you’re seated attitude), or maybe it was because they were overwhelmed by too many relocation requests.