"... were to arrive ..."

[Odessa Dawn]

"Arab League Secretary-General Nabil el-Araby and 16 foreign ministers from the league's member states were to arrive in Gaza on Tuesday for talks, a spokesman for the organization said. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is expected to join the delegation, a ministry spokesman said Monday."

For more detail, please go here

This was written on November 19, 2012. Foreign ministers will pay a visit to the Strip on November 20, 2012. As a result, why is were to arrive being used right here while we talk about future?

[bhaisahab]

"Arab League Secretary-General Nabil el-Araby and 16 foreign ministers from the league's member states were to arrive in Gaza on Tuesday for talks, a spokesman for the organization said. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is expected to join the delegation, a ministry spokesman said Monday."

For more detail, please go here

This was written on November 19, 2012. Foreign ministers will pay a visit to the Strip on November 20, 2012. As a result, why is were to arrive being used right here while we talk about future?

It should be "are to arrive".