A plane carrying some 150 Israeli 12th-grade pupils was forced to land in Antalya, Turkey, on Monday around 8 a.m. due to a possible engine malfunction.
The pupils were transferred by buses to a “secure and separate” terminal and have not left the airport, according to Ynet. An alternate flight has been arranged for 3 p.m.
The students are “feeling well” and are accompanied by the teaching staff, who are with them “at all times,” said Israel’s Education Ministry according to the report.
The flight is operated by Enter Air, a Warsaw-based charter airline, and was on its way to Poland. The students, from five schools in central Israel, Jerusalem and the Western Galilee, are participating in an organized visit to Poland as part of Israel’s traditional youth trips to Europe to learn about the Holocaust.
In the wake of the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, 2023, as well as growing concerns over rising antisemitism in Europe, these educational trips were canceled in November.
However, they were resumed last year following a review of security and logistical factors.
Israel’s relations with Turkey, once a favored tourist destination for Israelis, have in recent years reached an all-time low, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday praying for the destruction of the Jewish state.
The Turkish president has become more hostile toward Israel since the terrorist group’s onslaught on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Turkey has long hosted Hamas officials.
