A Delta Air Lines flight from New York was evacuated at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, after an anonymous bomb threat prompted an emergency security search. Authorities later confirmed that the inspection found no unusual items and that normal airport operations had resumed.
According to Israeli media reports, passengers were quickly removed from the aircraft after it landed in Tel Aviv. Security personnel moved the plane to an isolated area of the airport to allow investigators to examine it without exposing other airport operations to unnecessary risk.
The warning reportedly claimed that a bomb was on board the aircraft. The Israel Airports Authority confirmed that the security checks had been completed without any unusual findings.
“The incident has ended with no unusual findings. Operations have returned to normal,” an authority spokesperson told Ynet, according to reports.
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A330 operating a direct service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Tel Aviv. The flight departed JFK on Monday afternoon, October 12, shortly after 3:30 p.m., and arrived at Ben Gurion Airport at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
Delta operates a daily connection between New York and Tel Aviv. The airline had not been reported as identifying any suspicious device on the aircraft, and the airport’s statement indicated that the security search had ended without an unusual finding.
The incident comes amid heightened attention to aviation security in Israel following a separate incident involving a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30.
In that case, co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked the aircraft’s captain, Smit Machchhar, and attempted to take control of the plane. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after the incident, according to reports. The allegations surrounding the flydubai flight remain distinct from the Delta incident, and there is no established evidence linking the two events.
The Delta evacuation prompted a precautionary security response, but the completed search found no unusual items. With the aircraft cleared and airport operations restored, the immediate disruption at Ben Gurion Airport came to an end.
