Israel Air Force Jets intercepted an unidentified plane in Israeli air space this morning and escorted it to a landing at Ben Gurion Airport. The aircraft turned out to be a Cyprus Airways DC-9 bound from Athens to Larnaca in Cyprus with 52 passengers and crew members aboard. The pilot told Israeli authorities that he was unable to land at Larnaca because of bad weather and headed for the Israeli coast. He said the Israeli Jets Intercepted him before he could identify himself to the Ben Gurion control tower and request landing permission. The passengers were treated to lunch at the Ben Gurion Airport terminal and the plane took off for Larnaca two-and-a-half hours later.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.