Five days after an Omani co-pilot attempted to crash a flydubai flight bound for Israel, heightened Israeli vigilance was evident again Monday when a TUS Airways flight from Bologna, Italy, to Ben Gurion Airport was delayed for three hours after three Georgian passengers were removed from the aircraft.
A ynet check found that the decision to remove the three passengers was made at the request of Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority.
TUS Airways
(Photo: kirill_makarov / shutterstock)
The authority said two of the Georgian nationals had attempted to travel to Israel using forged Israeli passports, while the third was barred from entering Israel.
It remained unclear, however, how all three managed to pass through the full check-in, border control and security process before boarding the aircraft.
Following the decision to remove the three passengers, the rest of the passengers were also taken off the aircraft, along with their baggage, for additional checks.
Idit, one of the passengers, said: “After those three passengers were removed from the plane, all of us were taken off as well so our belongings could be checked again. They didn’t explain to us why the flight was delayed or why we were taken off.”
TUS Airways said in a statement: “The safety of passengers and crew is our highest priority. The company is cooperating fully with aviation authorities in Israel and around the world.”
The airline thanked passengers for their patience and understanding and stressed: “At no stage was there any danger to the crew or passengers.”
Kavei Hofsha, the tourism group that owns the airline, said: “Three passengers were removed from the flight for an additional check. In accordance with instructions from Israeli immigration authorities, the airline’s team at Bologna Airport was asked to remove three passengers from the flight for renewed screening.”
Earlier Monday, another unusual incident occurred on a TUS Airways flight when a passenger who had not completed the required border-control procedures managed to board an aircraft.
Minutes before takeoff, the crew detected a discrepancy in the passenger count. A quick check located the passenger and determined that she had not completed the required border-control procedures.
Local police were called to the aircraft, and the passenger was removed and transferred to the relevant authorities.