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A Delta Air Lines flight arriving from New York was moved to an isolated area at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday morning after an anonymous bomb threat, prompting the evacuation of all passengers and a security search of the aircraft.
The Israel Airports Authority said the plane was directed to a remote parking stand after a report of a suspicious object on board.
Passengers were safely taken to the terminal while security personnel carried out extensive checks.
“The incident has ended with no unusual findings. Operations have returned to normal,” the Airports Authority said.
Initial assessments had indicated that the bomb threat was a false alarm, and authorities said there was no immediate danger while the aircraft was being searched.
The incident came a day after an Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane departing Addis Ababa was denied entry to Israel after authorities learned that one crew member was an Indonesian national.
The crew list was received in Israel only after takeoff, according to the report. The aircraft was denied entry to Israeli airspace and returned to Ethiopia after dumping fuel over the sea.
The Indonesian pilot was then replaced by another pilot authorized to enter Ben Gurion Airport.
The issue of screening foreign airline crews had also drawn attention after Israel alleged an attempted hijacking of a flydubai aircraft on Sept. 30 involving an Omani co-pilot.
In May 2024, Israeli State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman published a report on international civil aviation security to and from Israel that identified serious gaps, including in the security of foreign airlines.
One of the report’s main recommendations was for Israel’s National Security Council to coordinate with the Transportation Ministry, Finance Ministry, Airports Authority, Shin Bet and police to establish a revised overall aviation security policy.
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