The 144 passengers on board El Al flight 352 from Berlin to Tel Aviv on Sunday, 29 Tammuz 5773 will not forget their flight any time soon. The plane had to make an emergency landing. Once they were up in the air for a second time, another unscheduled landing was compelled. The airline then canceled the flight.

The Boeing 737 was scheduled to take off from Berlin at 11:00 and land in Ben-Gurion International Airport at 16:00.

Passengers explain their headaches began before boarding with an announcement that technicians were making a repair and therefore, their boarding was delayed. They were waiting for hours and airline officials distributed food vouchers to the passengers. They finally boarded the flight at 15:00, taking off a half hour later.

A short time after takeoff a burning smell was detected near a kitchen and the plane was ordered to turn around and head back to Berlin. Passengers report “it was a difficult landing and airline personnel were not present, and we were compelled to remain on the plane for an hour before the doors were opened.”

The flight took off for a second time at about 21:00. In Ben-Gurion Airport, arrival information boards placed flight arrival time at 00:42. However, once again the burning smell was detected near the kitchen and once again the plane turned around and headed to Berlin.

The passengers were put up in hotels and were scheduled to return on Monday, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av 5773.

In other El Al news, a flight from Tel Aviv to Eilat on Monday, Rosh Chodesh Av 5773 was canceled due to a “technical malfunction”. Passengers were placed on buses to Eilat. It appears the grounding of the plane in Berlin led to scheduling complications, including this flight to Eilat.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)