An Arkia Airlines flight from Eilat, Israel safely touched down at Israel’s Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on Friday, despite a barrage of rockets fired by Hamas from the Gaza Strip towards the central part of the country.
A video posted on X by N12 News was captioned “last night during the shooting from Gaza towards the central settlements — a plane was recorded landing in Israel against the background of the interceptions of the Iron Dome.
הצנזורה התירה לפרסום: אמש במהלך הירי מעזה לעבר יישובי המרכז – מטוס תועד נוחת בנתב"ג על רקע היירוטים של כיפת ברזלhttps://t.co/73J5yzkUMv pic.twitter.com/9HYsmw23yv
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) December 9, 2023
Passengers onboard witnessed the Iron Dome missile defense system in action through the plane windows.
"שמע ישראל, איזה פחד": נוסעים תיעדו את היירוטים מתוך המטוס במהלך המטח אמש לגוש דןhttps://t.co/3nEQ8bRW1Y | @Dean_Fisher_ pic.twitter.com/D4JqXbLnml
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) December 9, 2023
Videos captured from the Embraer airliner’s windows depicted the Iron Dome interceptions, capturing passengers’ expressions of both fear and awe.
Retired Air Force commander Eitan Ben Eliyahu explained that unlike fighter jets, passenger airplanes cannot evade missiles with speed. Instead, pilots can increase altitude and potentially land on a different runway or even a different airport if fuel permits. Ben Eliyahu acknowledged some risk but emphasized its relative low probability.
Several major airlines have canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv since the October 7 massacre by Hamas, which triggered a conflict in Gaza. Despite the current situation commercial air links with Eilat’s international airport, a major tourist destination which has faced missile and drone attacks from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, remains operational.
El Al, Israel’s flag carrier, continues its Tel Aviv flights, although some operated by foreign partners have been canceled.
