An Israir flight from London Luton Airport to Tel Aviv was cancelled after a ground handling vehicle struck the aircraft during towing operations, prompting a technical inspection and renewed scrutiny over a series of similar incidents involving the Israeli carrier at the UK airport.
The incident occurred on Thursday (16 July, 2026) evening ahead of Israir Flight 116, which had been scheduled to depart London Luton (LTN) at 17:00 BST for Ben Gurion Airport (TLV), with arrival in Israel planned shortly after midnight.
According to Israir, a pushback tug damaged the aircraft while it was being repositioned before departure. Following the collision, the aircraft was withdrawn from service for inspection, and the flight was subsequently cancelled.
Approximately 300 passengers were affected by the cancellation.Several passengers reported remaining on board the aircraft for around two hours before being informed that the flight would not depart.
According to passenger accounts, the aircraft's air conditioning was unavailable for part of the delay, resulting in an uncomfortable cabin environment and what some described as minor medical incidents among those waiting.
After the aircraft was evacuated, passengers were returned to the terminal to collect their baggage. Israir arranged hotel accommodation for some travelers while others were rebooked on alternative flights. Passengers observing the Jewish Sabbath reportedly remained in London until Sunday before alternative travel could be arranged.
Israir stated that this was the third occasion within the past year that one of its aircraft had been damaged by a ground operations vehicle at London Luton Airport.
The airline expressed concern over the recurrence of such events, claiming that, to its knowledge, no comprehensive investigation had previously been conducted into the earlier incidents.
"Following the accident and after the evacuation, passengers were disembarked, transferred to the terminal and waited to receive their luggage," the airline said in a statement.
Senior Israeli aviation officials have reportedly raised concerns over the repeated nature of the incidents and are examining whether the latest occurrence could have been intentional.
According to Israeli media reports, authorities are considering the possibility that the damage may have been motivated by nationalistic reasons. However, no evidence has been publicly presented confirming deliberate wrongdoing, and the circumstances remain under investigation.
Israel has formally requested that the relevant UK aviation authorities investigate the latest incident and the previous occurrences involving Israir aircraft to determine the cause and implement measures to prevent similar events in the future.
Although collisions involving aircraft and ground support equipment can occur at airports worldwide, they are relatively uncommon due to strict ramp safety procedures governing aircraft movements.
Pushback tugs are used to reposition aircraft before departure and operate under tightly controlled procedures involving trained personnel, wing walkers and communication with flight crews.
Any contact between a ground vehicle and an aircraft typically requires an engineering inspection before the aircraft can return to service, even if the damage appears minor.
The investigation is expected to determine whether the latest incident resulted from human error, procedural shortcomings, equipment failure or other factors.
Until the investigation is completed, the cause of the collision has not been officially established.
Picture : For representation only, Digitally Generated.
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