Israeli plane lands in Turkey for emergency, denied refuel

An aeroplane flying from Warsaw to Tel Aviv on Sunday was forced to make an emergency landing in Turkey due to the health condition of one of the passengers. Israeli airlines, however, were denied refuelling on-site. Ultimately, the pilot found another solution.

A plane from Israel's state-owned airline, El Al, flying from Warsaw to Tel Aviv could not refuel after an emergency landing in Antalya, Turkey, reports The Times of Israel. The previously unplanned stop occurred due to the need to evacuate a passenger requiring medical assistance.

El Al said that just before continuing the journey to Israel, Turkish airport workers in Antalya refused to refuel the plane.

As a result, the plane flew to the island of Rhodes in Greece, where "it refuelled before departing for Israel," the airline said.

Turkish diplomatic sources confirmed that the plane could make an emergency landing to evacuate passengers needing assistance.

"Fuel was to be provided to the plane due to humanitarian considerations, but as the relevant procedure was about to be completed, the captain decided to leave of his own accord," said a Turkish diplomatic source, quoted by the portal.

According to The Times of Israel, the pilot took off because fuel was continuously consumed while the plane was parked on the tarmac to maintain air conditioning and other systems. The decision to take off for a 65-kilometre flight to Rhodes and refuel there was considered a last resort before that flight would also become impossible due to fuel shortages.

Passengers on the flight reportedly spent several hours on Turkish soil, during which time they were not allowed to leave the plane.

The portal points out that the decision had a political background. It recalls that since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023, all direct flights between Turkey and Israel have been cancelled. Additionally, in May, Turkey also severed all trade relations with Israel.