An emergency landing was necessary for an El Al jet, which belonged to the Israeli airline, flying from Warsaw to Tel Aviv. This decision was made after a medical incident involving one of the passengers on board required urgent medical attention in a hospital. The doctor on board determined the need for immediate medical attention and the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Antalya, Turkey.
According to Channel 12 reports, passengers were not allowed to leave the plane while in Antalya and Turkish authorities refused to refuel the aircraft. This could have been due to Turkey’s strained relations with Israel, as Turkey has been a strong critic of Israel and halted exports and imports to and from the country until at least October 26, 2024. As a result, El Al had to consider alternative options such as flying to and landing at an airport in another country.
Ultimately, El Al flight LY5102 was diverted to Rhodes, Greece due to the lack of refueling options in Turkey. This left passengers on board stranded without resolving the medical emergency. Before the conflict, Turkish Airlines was a popular foreign carrier in Israel but ceased operations just three days after the war broke out. The strained relations between Turkey and Israel have had a significant impact on air travel between the two countries.