Because of the name “Tel Aviv”: Ethiopian Dreamliner got into trouble in Beirut

At Beirut airport, the crew of a Boeing 787-9 operated by Ethiopian Airlines was ordered to cover up or remove the name "Tel Aviv". Otherwise, Lebanon's Civil Aviation Authority would have banned the long-haul aircraft from taking off.

The incident occurred last Thursday at Beirut Rafic Al Hariri Airport. The Dreamliner with the registration ET-AXK landed from Addis Ababa. So far everything is still commonplace. But then an unidentified person saw the baptismal name “Tel Aviv,” which can be seen in small writing on the fuselage. The matter took its course and was decided at high speed in the Civil Aviation Authority of Lebanon: Either the lettering would be obscured or removed or there would be no permission to take off and this Boeing 787-9 would therefore be stranded in Beirut.

The Ethiopian airline explained that it is customary to note the name of the airport where the aircraft lands for the first time after purchase, which was the case with the aircraft. The company noted that it did not notice this problem before taking the plane to Beirut-Rafic Al Hariri International Airport. The Civil Aviation Authority asked the company to remove the printout from the plane's fuselage before it was given permission to depart Beirut. It also called on the company to take necessary measures to ensure that no logos of an Israeli entity are displayed on the company's aircraft before they land at Beirut Airport.

Similar incidents of planes landing with inappropriate or politically sensitive inscriptions on the fuselage are rare, but they have raised eyebrows in the past. A similar incident occurred in 2018 when an Iranian airline sent a plane to Athens with the name "Persian Gulf" written on the fuselage in Persian script, causing diplomatic tensions. In 2014, a similar incident raised eyebrows when a Turkish plane landed in Azerbaijan with the name "Ararat" written on the fuselage in Armenian script, sparking political controversy.

Such incidents highlight the complexity and sensitivity of political and diplomatic matters in aviation and highlight the need for airlines to be aware and respond appropriately to such situations.