Flights leaving Israel stopped due to fuel contamination
Planes can not fill tanks or leave Ben Gurion Airport; some incoming flights stop in Greece or Cyprus instead.
By REUTERSBen Gurion airport 311(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Israel halted most departures from Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion international airport on Thursday after routine checks found aviation fuel supplies were contaminated, an airport spokesman said.The gas problem was discovered a week and a half ago, but actions were not taken until Thursday.Only aircraft that flew in with sufficient fuel to reach their next destination were being allowed to depart as scheduled.RELATED:Editorial: Keep our airport safeThe spokesman, Adar Avisar, said the cause of the contamination was not immediately known, and that it had been discovered early enough in the day to ensure that no plane had departed with fuel that might have been contaminated."There are no planes in the air that have received an order to land," he said.Israeli media reports said aircraft bound for Ben-Gurion and due to depart from Tel Aviv later in the day would land in Cyprus to fuel.
