Beirut: A Boeing 737 plane was seen parked on the tarmac at Tel Aviv’s airport on Wednesday with the logo “Wings of Lebanon” inked on the white fuselage, appearing like it had arrived from a neighbouring country Israel has been officially at war with for more than 60 years.
The unusual sight shocked travellers and staff at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, with rumours flying that Lebanese dignitaries were on a secret mission.
“I rubbed my eyes and thought I was dreaming,” one airport worker told the Times of Israel news site. “I couldn’t understand what was going on.”
The reality, though, was less dramatic.
“A surprise guest this morning at Ben Gurion Airport,” Israeli broadcaster Nitzan Glusman said on Twitter. “Stay calm, it wasn’t bringing a delegation from Beirut for peace talks, it’s a plane that was leased” from a Turkish airline.
Ofer Lefler, spokesman for the Israel Airports Authority, confirmed that the plane had landed at Ben Gurion.
Wings of Lebanon was “surprised” and immediately contacted Tailwind Airlines to demand an explanation, the company said. It said the flight originated from the southern Turkish city of Antalya. Any dealing “with the Israeli enemy is a red line for us,” it added.
What happened was that Tailwind completed the maintenance in two days and used the plane for the remaining three days to take passengers from Turkey to Israel and Germany, Chief Executive Officer Safi Ergin said in an interview.
“The aircraft’s landing in the Israeli airport may have caused some bewilderment because of the Lebanon sign on the fuselage,” he said by telephone. “The plane stayed at the airport for about an hour and then took off for Turkey.”
Ghazi Zeaiter, Lebanon’s public works and transportation minister, said the incident was a “crime which we totally reject.” He said Lebanon will carry out an investigation and the plane will never be allowed to fly back to Lebanon.
