Bomb Threat Sparks Security Scare on Delta Flight at Ben Gurion Airport

All passengers were safely evacuated while security personnel conducted a comprehensive search of the aircraft.

By United with Israel Staff

Israeli security officials weren’t taking any chances Tuesday morning after an anonymous bomb threat targeted a Delta Air Lines flight arriving at Ben Gurion Airport from New York.

The warning was received shortly before the aircraft landed, prompting authorities to direct the plane to a remote area away from the airport’s passenger terminals.

All passengers were safely evacuated while security personnel conducted a comprehensive search of the aircraft for explosives or other suspicious items.

Although authorities reportedly suspected the threat was a hoax, full security precautions remained in place until the aircraft was cleared.

The Israel Airports Authority later announced that the search had found nothing suspicious and normal operations had resumed.

“All passengers disembarked safely,” the authority said. “The incident ended with no unusual findings. Back to normal.”

No injuries were reported, and the source of the anonymous threat was not immediately identified.

The security scare comes less than two weeks after an attempted terrorist attack aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv.

On Sept. 30, the flight’s Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with an axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft before the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Emirati authorities said the alleged attacker intended to crash the aircraft into Ben Gurion Airport.

Following that incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a review of aviation security procedures, with particular attention to foreign airline crews flying into Israel.

Tuesday’s incident also comes shortly after Delta resumed direct flights between New York and Tel Aviv in September following a suspension of more than six months amid the conflict with Iran.