Israel-bound Delta flight from New York evacuated after bomb threat

A Delta Air Lines flight arriving from New York was evacuated.

A Delta Air Lines flight arriving from New York was evacuated after landing at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday following a bomb threat, Israeli media reported.

Security officials searched the aircraft but found no suspicious items.

Passengers were escorted from the Airbus A330 to the airport terminal as investigators examined the plane, according to the Jerusalem Post and Ynet.

An Israel Airports Authority spokesperson told Ynet that the incident had ended without any unusual findings and airport operations had returned to normal.

The threat reportedly involved a message claiming that an explosive device was on board the aircraft.

The authorities have not disclosed how many passengers and crew members were on the flight.

Delta operates a daily service between New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport and Tel Aviv.

The flight involved in Tuesday’s incident departed JFK shortly after 3.30 pm on Monday and landed at Ben Gurion Airport at around 8.30 am local time.

The security scare comes less than two weeks after a separate incident involving a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv.

Co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked the captain, Smit Machchhar, with an onboard crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft.

Israeli sources subsequently alleged that al-Hammami had planned to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport.

A preliminary investigation reportedly found that he had been inspired by the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.

The latest incident also follows Delta’s resumption of daily nonstop flights between New York and Tel Aviv in September, after the airline reviewed the regional security situation.

The airline had said that the safety and security of its passengers and employees remained its top priority and that it would continue monitoring developments in coordination with government and aviation authorities.