ByMEITAL SHARABI, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated:

A Delta Air Lines plane scheduled to depart from New York for Israel was held before takeoff at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York following a bomb threat. Flight DL234 was scheduled to depart at 10:40 p.m. Israel time.

The aircraft was denied clearance for takeoff after police received a phone call claiming that a bomb had been planted on board. Authorities suspect that the caller may be the same individual who earlier claimed that a bomb had been placed on a Delta flight that landed at Ben-Gurion Airport on Tuesday morning. That aircraft was searched, and the incident ended without any unusual findings.

The flight was only permitted to depart once US security authorities had completed their inspections and clearance had been granted by Israeli security.

Earlier incident on Delta flight landing at Ben-Gurion Airport

The incident follows a similar bomb threat earlier on Tuesday, when a Delta aircraft arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport from New York was moved to an isolated parking area after the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) received an anonymous report of a suspicious object on board that could contain explosives.

All passengers were evacuated from the aircraft, and security personnel conducted searches to rule out the possibility of an explosive device.

A Delta Airlines flight takes off from Logan International Airport, as airlines cancelled flights at 40 major airports after the government imposed an unprecedented cut to air travel, in Boston, Massachusetts, US, November 7, 2025.
A Delta Airlines flight takes off from Logan International Airport, as airlines cancelled flights at 40 major airports after the government imposed an unprecedented cut to air travel, in Boston, Massachusetts, US, November 7, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/BRIAN SNYDER)

No suspicious objects or explosives were reported. Although security officials assessed the threat as likely a hoax, they decided to thoroughly inspect the aircraft as a precaution.

The IAA later confirmed the incident was resolved, stating, "The incident ended with no unusual findings."

Shortly after foiled flydubai hijacking attempt

These bomb threats come just weeks after the co-pilot of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv attempted the hijack the plane. The attempt was foiled by the quick thinking passengers and pilot who fought off the hijacker and saved the flight.

The pilot-hijacker stabbed the lead pilot and tried to crash the plane before four passengers restrained him.

The passengers say that had the Indian lead pilot not managed to open the door during the attack, they would not have been able to stop the plane from crashing.