Passenger flight to Israel diverted over Beirut amid severe storm

Unaware of the detour, passengers spent several minutes over Beirut as pilots, guided by Nicosia air-traffic control, shifted to a safer route.

By World Israel News Staff

While Israeli jets entering Lebanese airspace rarely raise an eyebrow these days, a passenger plane headed to Israel flying over Beirut is an entirely different story.

That is exactly what happened Wednesday morning, when an Aegean Airlines flight from Larnaca en route to Tel Aviv was quietly diverted into Lebanese airspace after running into severe weather.

Unaware of the detour, passengers spent several minutes over Beirut as pilots, guided by Nicosia air traffic control, shifted to a safer route. Only after the flight returned to its regular path did officials confirm what had happened.

The Israel Airports Authority issued a full statement explaining the rerouting: “A Greek airline aircraft, whose flight was conducted under the supervision and control of the Nicosia control center, was diverted due to weather conditions for the safety of the passengers. During the diversion, the aircraft passed through Lebanese airspace, and when transferred to the responsibility of Israeli control, it was already outside that airspace.”

The incident occurred as Storm Byron swept into the region, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms already spread across much of the country. Forecasters described Byron as the strongest winter system so far this season, with flood risks from the northern coastline to the Negev and wind gusts that may approach 100 kilometers per hour.

With the storm intensifying as it moves inland, authorities are urging the public to remain alert.