El Al flight LY2651 from Ben-Gurion Airport to Kiev in Ukraine experienced a forced ground delay on Sunday morning after one of the plane's passengers refused to wear a face mask, violating the company's coronavirus guidelines.
According to Ynet, after being asked to put on a face mask, the passenger started swearing and confronting the flight attendants on the plane. Police officers from Ben-Gurion Airport arrived at the scene and escorted him off the plane.
A spokesperson for El Al stated in response to the incident that "we are committed to maintaining the safety, security and health of our passengers, and that's what happened in this case."
"Government regulations require the wearing of a mask in the cabin and it is our duty to implement the provisions in full in order to maintain the health of passengers and staff," the spokesperson added.
Last month, a US Department of Defense study found that when every passenger is wearing a mask, their chances of infection are drastically reduced.
According to the study, when a passenger is seated and wearing a mask, an average 0.003% of the air particles within the breathing zone around the person's head are infectious, even when every seat is occupied, it found.