US airliner sparks Israel security scare

Israeli warplanes scrambled on Saturday to intercept a US airliner bound for Tel Aviv after the crew failed to follow the correct procedure on approach to Ben Gurion airport, a military spokesman said.

Israeli warplanes scrambled on Saturday to intercept a US airliner bound for Tel Aviv after the crew failed to follow the correct procedure on approach to Ben Gurion airport, a military spokesman said.

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The crew of the Delta Airlines Boeing 777 flight from New York "did not identify the flight according to the regulations" by radio to enable it to land, he said.

An immediate alert was declared and the fighters took off "according to routine procedure," the spokesman said.

The aircraft, with 105 passengers on board, was able to land at Israel's main international airport after a 10-minute delay, army radio reported. It said the crew were later questioned to determine how the incident happened.