United Airlines flight from Tel Aviv diverted over strange smell

A United Airlines flight operating from Tel Aviv to Newark Liberty International Airport was diverted after a strange odor was detected on board, according to Travel Radar. The flight, identified in later reports as UA168, was en route to New York when the crew decided to divert to Athens International Airport due to the onboard smell, with Athens serving as the diversion airport rather than Newark.

Reports from multiple outlets converge on the destination change to Athens, Greece, noting that the diversion occurred early in the flight and that the aircraft landed in Athens after an apparent diversion in route. The Mirror specifies the aircraft is UA168 on the Tel Aviv–Newark route and notes that the diversion happened early Monday local time, with some outlets indicating an emergency code 7700 was transmitted, though no official cause for the emergency was disclosed at the time.

AOL.co.uk frames the incident within a wider context of a wave of hoax bomb threats to European airports during the period, stating that authorities did not disclose a specific reason for the diversion beyond the broader pattern. The report also states there is no information provided about injuries, the exact flight number, aircraft details beyond the airline, or the final destination after the diversion.

The Daily Star corroborates the odor-based diversion, reporting that the aircraft was carrying about 230 passengers and 13 crew members at the time and that passengers deplaned normally in Athens while arrangements were made to continue to Newark aboard a different aircraft. This aligns with subsequent notes that the flight was ultimately diverted to Athens and did not continue to Newark on the same aircraft.

The Irish Star reports that UA168 diverted to Athens after a cabin odor was detected onboard, with 230 passengers and 13 crew members on board. The Irish Star notes that United Airlines confirmed passengers deplaned normally and that arrangements were being made to continue the journey with another aircraft to Newark. No source cited on the origin of the smell beyond the report of its detection.

AirLive provides a detailed sequence: United Airlines Flight UA168, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, departed Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport at 12:45 a.m. IST. Roughly 90 minutes into the flight at cruising altitude, the crew detected an unspecified technical issue and declared an emergency, squawking 7700 and requesting an immediate diversion to Athens. The aircraft landed safely on Runway 3R in Athens about two hours after takeoff, with emergency vehicles meeting the aircraft as a precaution. United confirmed the plane was grounded in Athens and undergoing a maintenance inspection, and that passengers were to be rebooked onto another flight to Newark.

Simple Flying summarizes the event within its broader coverage, noting that UA168 was diverted to Athens early in the flight and that an emergency declaration was possible, with no official cause released at the time. It also frames the incident within the wider pattern of European-wide threats and diversions occurring around that period, but does not provide new verified details about injuries or the final resolution beyond the diversion.

The situation is consistently described as a precautionary diversion to Athens, with the aircraft later identified by various outlets as UA168, and with no publicly disclosed information about injuries, on-board events, or the precise source of the odor beyond its detection. The reports collectively indicate that the flight did not continue to Newark on the same aircraft and that the onward arrangements involved rebooking passengers onto alternative transportation or aircraft to Newark.

No final investigative conclusions or official statements from United Airlines are present in the sourced material at the time of reporting, with many outlets noting that authorities had not released a specific cause for the diversion and that the broader context involved other European flights subject to threats or emergencies during the same period. The reporting consistently preserves the sequence: departure from Tel Aviv, detection of an onboard odor or unspecified issue, declaration of an emergency, diversion to Athens, safe landing, and ground handling of passengers and maintenance checks on the aircraft.