An ITA Airways Airbus A321 was ordered to perform a holding pattern off the coast of Israel last Thursday. The tower gave the orders because missile attacks coming from Yemen.
Flight AZ806, departed from Rome Fiumicino Airport at 09:25 AM on Thursday, March 27. The ITA Airways Airbus A321 flew over the Tyrrhenian, Ionian, and Aegean Seas towards the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv.
At around 1:00 PM local time, the aircraft received the instruction to perform a holding pattern. This involves flying in circles around a fixed point while awaiting further instructions from air traffic control. The A321 circled for nearly half an hour and performed four and a half circles. The aircraft could then continue its route to Tel Aviv. There it landed around 1:45 PM local time.
According to Italian media, the holding pattern was necessary due to Yemeni missiles targeting Israel. The A321 had to wait until the attack was over to ensure a safe landing in Tel Aviv. The Houthi rebels in Yemen have been carrying out missile attacks on Israel since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza.
ITA Airways has responded to the incident: “In response to recent media reports about ITA Airways flight AZ806, en route from Rome-Fiumicino to Tel Aviv, which diverted over sea due to two missiles from Yemen, the company emphasises that the A321 landed safely at 1:45 PM after a short waiting period.
According to ITA Airways, there were no further incidents and no one was injured on board the A321. The airline says it continues to closely monitor the geopolitical situation in the Middle East and will reconsider the possible consequences for its operations.