A flight by Greece’s Aegean Airlines, en route from Larnaca to Israel, passed Wednesday morning over Beirut’s airspace — a rare occurrence for a flight bound for Israel — after weather conditions forced it to divert due to Storm Byron.
The aircraft was rerouted under the supervision of the Nicosia control center. The diversion was carried out for safety reasons, as the storm brought gusty winds and heavy rain.
Flight‑tracking data show that, instead of proceeding directly to Ben Gurion Airport, the plane diverted into Lebanese airspace, approached Beirut International Airport, made a short circuit over the Mediterranean and then approached Israel from the north, eventually entering Israeli airspace near Haifa. Although the flight time was not significantly extended, passengers were apparently not informed of the deviation.
While foreign carriers occasionally fly over states without diplomatic ties to Israel, flying over Lebanese airspace is highly unusual for Israeli‑bound flights. In the past, there were rare cases of planes carrying Israelis even landing in Iran.
Meanwhile, Storm Byron continues to pummel Israel: rains are expected to intensify during the day, with the storm’s peak anticipated Wednesday night and Thursday — bringing strong downpours and flooding risk. According to the head of the Israel Meteorological Service, Dr. Amir Givati, the first station to cross the 100‑mm mark since Tuesday was Atlit, which recorded 101 mm (nearly 4 inches); Tel Aviv registered 67 mm (2.6 inches) over the same period.
The Israel Meteorological Service has issued an “orange alert” for significant rainfall Wednesday in the Carmel range, the northern, central and southern coastal plains, and the Sharon–Judean Foothills region until 10 p.m. Rainfall is expected to reach 50 mm–75 mm.
In light of the storm, the Health Ministry guidance for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, infants and young children. The ministry recommended moving around inside the home to stimulate circulation and maintain warmth; keeping indoor temperatures around 24 °C and not below 21 °C, and ensuring proper indoor humidity to avoid overly dry air.