Israeli Flights Grounded After Discovery of Contaminated Fuel

Chabad-Lubavitch of Ben Gurion International Airport saw one of its busiest days Thursday when a report of contaminated jet fuel grounded 29 flights and stranded thousands of passengers.

The Israeli airline El Al said it cancelled 20 flights, and provided full refunds to passengers, but a fast-changing situation kept both domestic and international departure halls full of travelers not knowing what was going on. Rabbi Nachman Maidanchik, one of several staff members and volunteers that offer hospitality services to passengers, said he shuttled back and forth between people, helping them don the Jewish prayer boxes known as tefillin or study Torah with their newfound time.

“There were so many people,” he said, “many more than usual. I put tefillin on the men, gave out Sabbath candles to the women and girls, and handed out copies of the Traveller’s Prayer to all of them.”

Most “didn’t feel good” with the last-minute change in plans, he said.

The director of Israel’s main international airport made the decision to ground any plane that did not have enough clean fuel to reach Cyprus or Jordan to fill up its tanks.

“I have no idea how many people we were with today,” said Maidanchik. “I didn’t even bother to count.”

Incoming flights were also delayed as they first were warned to stop in Cyprus or Greece for refueling prior to landing at Ben Gurion and Eilat airports.

Paz Aviation Assets, the company that supplies fuel for aircraft at the airport, said the substance found in the fueling terminals that caused the contamination is being sent for testing.

According to Transportation Minister Israel Katz, the contamination was actually first discovered two weeks ago. Katz acknowledged at a news conference Thursday night that the contamination was a “severe matter” but said it posed “no passenger security concern.” He added that the priority was to clear the stranded flights.

The Israel Airports Authority said it expected that flights would resume overnight with enough clean fuel to safely reach Larnaca Airport in Cyprus.

Paz agreed to loan dozens of fuel trucks to the airport for the effort, as the ministry launches its investigation.