El Al’s Emergency Landing Leaves Passengers Stranded in Amidst Tension Between Turkey and Israel
An emergency landing of a jet owned by El Al, the Israeli airline, was forced to take place in Antalya, Turkey. This decision was made after consulting with a doctor on board who determined that a passenger needed urgent medical attention in a hospital. According to reports from Channel 12, Israeli television station, passengers were not allowed to leave the plane while in Antalya and the Turkish authorities refused to refuel the aircraft.
El Al considered flying to another country for landing since Turkey would not refuel the aircraft. Eventually, El Al flight LY5102 was diverted to Rhodes, Greece. The situation left passengers stranded and the medical emergency unresolved. Prior to the conflict between Turkey and Israel, Turkish Airlines was a popular foreign carrier in Israel but ceased operations just three days after war broke out. The strained relations between Turkey and Israel have impacted air travel between the two countries.
