Air traffic at Israel`s Ben Gurion International Airport partially resumed Thursday night, after one of the most chaotic days ever noted by the country`s gateway.

Earlier, a contamination detected at the airport`s fuel terminal forced it to ground all planes, bringing air traffic over Israel to a virtual standstill. The reason for the contamination has yet to be determined.

On Thursday evening, the National Infrastructure Ministry gave the Fuel and Gas Administration special dispensation to use its strategic fuel reserves to alleviate the situation.

The Airport Authority has decided to prioritize the refueling process, saying east-bound flights headed to destinations such as Thailand would be given priority simply because they are unable to stop and refuel in neighboring counties; while flights headed to Europe have the ability to stop in Cyprus or Greece.

Due to the gridlock, the airport will allow for takeoffs all through the night.