Flights Resume at Israel’s Ramon Airport After Houthi Drone Strike
Hey folks, if you’re keeping tabs on the latest Middle East tensions, here’s a quick update from southern Israel. Operations at Ramon Airport in Eilat kicked back into gear on the afternoon of September 8 after a scary drone attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels briefly shut things down. The Israel Airports Authority shared that flights are now running smoothly again, just under two hours after the incident.
According to an authority spokesperson, "After less than two hours of suspended operations, Ramon Airport has resumed full activity." They ran a thorough safety check and situation assessment before giving the green light for takeoffs and landings. The very first flight to depart post-attack was an Arkia Israeli Airlines service heading to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
The drama started when a drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthis slammed into the arrivals hall. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service confirmed that at least two people suffered light injuries and got rushed to a hospital in the nearby resort town of Eilat. For about two hours, all departures and landings came to a halt while the Israeli military investigated the drone strike from Yemen.
The Israeli military dropped a statement on Telegram, explaining that their Air Force systems spotted the drone but didn’t flag it as hostile. That’s why the interception and alert systems stayed off. On the other side, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree proudly claimed responsibility in a TV broadcast, saying they targeted Ramon Airport as part of their ongoing campaign.
This isn’t the first time the Houthis have fired long-range missiles and drones at Israel. They say these attacks show solidarity with the Palestinian cause amid the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict. In retaliation, Israel has hit back with airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, including key spots like the vital Red Sea port of Hodeidah.
Stay tuned for more on this Houthi drone attack and how it affects air travel in the region – we’ll keep you posted as the situation develops.
