An Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner jet is pictured on April 27, 2013. (credit: Jenny Vaughan/File Photo/AFP)
BEIRUT — The General Directorate of Civil Aviation announced that an Ethiopian Airlines plane, registered in Ethiopia, landed early Thursday morning at Beirut International Airport and the airport security apparatus reported the presence of the phrase "Tel Aviv" in small letters on the plane's body, "which was very difficult to see from a distance," the directorate said in a statement.
"The Ethiopian company explained that it is accustomed to noting the name of the airport where the plane lands for the first time after its purchase, which is what happened with the aircraft," the directorate's statement explained.
The company said that it did not notice this before bringing the plane to Beirut.
"The directorate requested the company to remove the phrase from the plane's body before allowing it to take off from Beirut, which actually happened. It also requested the company to take the necessary measures to ensure that there are no logos related to an Israeli entity on the company's planes before landing at Beirut International Airport," the statement concluded.
Last May, Lebanese officials banned the Cypriot airline TUS AIR from flying in Lebanese airspace or landing at Beirut International Airport after it came to light that an Israeli corporation owns shares in the airline.
In 1955, Lebanon passed a law boycotting contact with Israelis or economic relations with Israeli companies.
The law prohibits any person or entity from having contact with Israelis or persons residing in Israel. It also prohibits all types of transactions — commercial, financial or otherwise — with Israel. Violation of the law is punishable by three to ten years of hard labor.
Additionally, Article 285 of the Penal Code punishes commercial transactions between a Lebanese citizen or resident of Lebanon and a national or resident of an enemy country.