Israeli air force intercepts Egyptian passenger flight heading to Tel Aviv

Saturday 23-04-2016 06:12 PM

A passenger flight at Cairo International Airport. Reuters archive

CAIRO, Apr 23 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt's civil aviation ministry said on Saturday that an Israeli air force plane intercepted an Egyptian passenger flight due to a delay in  sending details of the Egyptian flight to the Israeli air traffic control.

The Egyptian flight was heading from Cairo to Tel Aviv and passed through Cyprus's airspace.  According to Egypt's aviation ministry, the Cypriot air traffic control sent the details of the Egyptian plane's data to the Israeli air traffic control late.

Israeli air force considered the Egyptian flight an "unrecognized" target and accordingly the Egyptian flight was intercepted, said the aviation ministry in a statement.

The ministry added that the plane belongs to Cairo-based Air Sinai airline company.

The Egyptian flight landed in Ben Gurion's airport and took off from the airport for Cairo, the ministry said.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) reported earlier today that two Israeli air force planes intercepted the path of the Egyptian passenger flight as it entered the Israeli airspace without identifying itself.

Israeli authorities called on pilots working for the Egyptian airline company to review the procedures for Israeli airspace entry, IBA reported.

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