Tel Aviv Passengers Say Entire Flight Faced Extra Checks at London Luton

Passengers arriving in London on a flight from Tel Aviv said Border Force officers subjected the entire plane to additional checks at Luton Airport

The passengers arrived from Ben Gurion Airport on Wizz Air UK flight W95302 on Sunday night, according to Jewish News.

Travelers said that after collecting their luggage and heading toward the arrivals area, Border Force officers stopped them and directed them into a separate queue.

A relative of one passenger told Jewish News that officers then required travelers to put their luggage through an X-ray machine.

“According to what passengers were told, the entire flight arriving from Tel Aviv was subjected to the additional screening,” the relative said. The family has submitted a formal complaint over the incident.

Meanwhile, reports about the checks circulated online. Some passengers questioned whether officers selected the flight because it arrived from Israel.

The UK Home Office rejected any suggestion that religion or ethnicity determined who was searched.

“Border Force officers carry out searches based on intelligence, evidence, and operational requirements,” a spokesperson told Jewish News. “An individual’s ethnicity, religion, or other protected characteristics will never be the reason for a search.”

London Luton Airport said immigration and customs procedures fall entirely under the authority of UK Border Force and are outside the airport operator’s control.

Jewish News said it had also contacted Wizz Air for comment.

The incident comes days after passengers from Tel Aviv reported additional customs checks at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. The checks followed the introduction of a Dutch ban on products originating from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. Dutch authorities now allow customs officers to inspect personal luggage for prohibited goods.

The reason Border Force selected the Luton flight for additional screening has not been publicly disclosed.