United 787 bound for Newark diverts to Athens

A United Airlines widebody bound for the United States from Israel landed in Greece instead, touching down at Athens International Airport a little more than two hours after takeoff.

Flight UA85, a Boeing 787-10 registered N14011, left Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv at 11:15 AM local time, according to flight tracking data. It was headed for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, roughly a twelve-hour journey.

The aircraft climbed to 32,000 feet and flew northwest across Turkish territory near Antalya. About ninety minutes in, shortly after entering Greek airspace, it turned sharply and began to descend.

Controllers directed the Dreamliner to Athens. It landed on Runway 3R at 1:24 PM local time, two hours and nine minutes after departure. No injuries were reported.

Neither United Airlines nor Greek aviation authorities have said what prompted the turn, which was not announced in advance. The reason remains unconfirmed.