An El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Paris faced delays on Thursday after a passenger smoked in the plane's restroom while taxiing for takeoff.
The crew quickly responded after cigarette smoke spread through the cabin, removing the woman from the restroom and using a fire extinguisher during the incident.
The plane returned to the gate, and police escorted the passenger off the aircraft. A passenger told Ynet that the flight had already been delayed earlier when another woman insisted on deboarding, necessitating the removal of her luggage and causing about an hour's delay.
"Before the smoking passenger entered the restroom, the flight attendants asked her to sit down, but she didn’t comply," said the passenger, who praised the Israeli airline crew. "They calmed the passengers and handled the incident well."
El Al issued a statement regarding the incident. "During preparations for takeoff on El Al flight LY323 from Tel Aviv to Paris, a passenger was found smoking in the restroom. The El Al crew managed the situation, involving law enforcement authorities, and the passenger was removed from the aircraft,” according to the airline.
"El Al views this incident with severity and takes all necessary measures according to regulations and the law in coordination with relevant enforcement authorities. We have a zero-tolerance policy for such incidents and will continue to ensure the safety and security of our passengers."