Flight with 20 Israelis on board makes stop in Iran

Turkish Airlines plane traveling to Mumbai from Istanbul lands in Tehran to medically evacuate passenger.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
A Turkish Airlines plane. (photo credit: REUTERS)
A Turkish Airlines plane.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A Turkish Airlines flight with some 20 Israelis on board, en route to Mumbai from Istanbul, made an unexpected stop in Tehran on Monday night after a passenger with a medical condition needed immediate treatment.
The Israeli passengers were disconcerted to find themselves present in an enemy state, but the Turkish flight crew assured them that their safety would be ensured.
The patient, not of Israeli nationality, was evacuated upon arrival in the Iranian capital.
The Israelis were not made to disembark from the aircraft, and after waiting for over an hour on the tarmac, the flight received the go-ahead to continue on its way to India, where it landed safely. 
"There was no specific concern except for the delay that occurred. But other than that everything was alright," one Israeli passenger told Army Radio. "They came a took the ill passenger off the plane in a smooth manner."