On Sunday, Israel’s flag carrier, El Al, experienced an unexpected turn of events when a flight from Tel Aviv to Warsaw was forced to make an emergency landing in Antalya, Turkey due to a medical emergency. However, the situation took a perplexing twist when local airport workers refused to refuel the plane, preventing its immediate return to Israel. Consequently, the aircraft had to divert to Rhodes for refueling.
An investigation revealed that a local representative from the refueling company demanded written authorization before proceeding. Despite Israeli officials being in contact with their Turkish counterparts—who had no objections to refueling the El Al flight—communication issues led to the local company’s refusal. It was then decided that the flight would head to Rhodes for refueling. The passenger in need of medical attention was transported to the hospital, conscious and in communication with the accompanying consul.
Flight LY5102’s emergency landing was necessitated by a medical situation involving a passenger. El Al stated, “The flight crew prepared for a renewed takeoff to Tel Aviv, but local workers refused to refuel the company’s plane, despite the medical emergency. The plane then took off for Rhodes, where it will refuel before returning to Israel.”
Further details from the investigation indicated that the local refueling company’s representative insisted on written approval. Israeli officials had coordinated with Turkish authorities, who did not oppose the refueling. However, due to a communication breakdown, the local company refused to comply, leading to the decision to refuel in Rhodes. The passenger, who was disembarked during the emergency landing, was evacuated to the hospital, remaining conscious and in communication with the consul accompanying her.
This unusual incident occurred despite diplomatic assurances from Turkish officials that refueling would be permitted. Throughout the event, Ambassador Irit Lillian engaged in discussions with senior Turkish officials. Communication challenges arose as Ambassador Lillian is based in Israel rather than Turkey.