On 9 November 2026, United Airlines flight UA168 from Tel Aviv to Newark diverted to Athens for an emergency landing after an unusual smell was reported in the cabin. The flight was cancelled, and the 230 passengers continued to New York only on a replacement flight many hours later.
What happened
Overnight between Sunday and Monday, 9 November 2026, United Airlines flight UA168 took off from Ben Gurion Airport for Newark, near New York. According to ynet, around an hour and a half to two hours after take-off, passengers and crew reported an unusual smell in the cabin, resembling burning, and the aircraft diverted for an emergency landing in Athens. There were 230 passengers and 13 crew on board, and no one was hurt.
According to TheTravel, the aircraft landed in Athens at about 3:00 a.m. and was taken for inspection, and the flight to Newark was cancelled. United said passengers disembarked normally and that it was arranging another aircraft to take them to Newark. One passenger told ynet that passengers were booked on a flight leaving Athens only around midday that day – instead of the scheduled early-morning arrival in Newark.
If you were on the flight
Passengers on this flight may be entitled to monetary compensation – up to ILS 3,670 per passenger – as well as reimbursement for food, drink or accommodation they had to pay for themselves while waiting. Entitlement depends on the circumstances of each case, so it is worth checking. Keep your booking confirmation, your boarding passes (for both the original and the replacement flight), any messages from United, and receipts for expenses.
Sources: ynet, 9 November 2026; TheTravel, 9 November 2026
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