An El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Kiev, Ukraine was returning to Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday night, after flight crew discovered a rupture in the aircraft tire.
The plane, which was carrying 182 passengers, was set to make an emergency landing around midnight local time.
Medical services were standing by and a state of emergency was declared at the airport.
The El Al flight — run by its low-cost carrier UP — was scheduled to depart Tel Aviv at 6:30 p.m. but only took off some three hours later.
Ambulance crews ready for an emergency landing at Ben Gurion Airport, August 28, 2016. (MDA)
Shortly after takeoff, the crew noticed a tire was damaged, and the decision was made to return due to the mechanical malfunction. The plane later circled over Israel to unload fuel.
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