El Al Flight Aborts Landing in Tel Aviv Due to Iranian Missile Launches

An El Al rescue flight (LY1006) from Los Angeles was forced to hold over the Mediterranean Sea Friday morning after the IDF detected missile launches from Iran toward Israeli territory. The aircraft circled for approximately 20 minutes before receiving clearance to land at Ben-Gurion Airport, arriving about 44 minutes behind schedule. The incident highlights the operational challenges facing Israeli civil aviation, with authorities coordinating between air traffic controllers, the IAF, and IDF Home Front Command to safely manage arrivals during the ongoing Iranian missile threat. Airspace restrictions have limited commercial flights to one rescue flight per hour.