Controlled chaos: Inside Israel's air traffic during unprecedented US-Israel strikes – interview

During the joint US-Israel "Operation Roaring Lion" against Iran, Israeli Air Force (IAF) air traffic control faced its most complex and dangerous day since its establishment. Hundreds of Israeli and US aircraft, including fighter jets, transport planes, and drones, returned simultaneously from strikes deep inside Iran, creating an "explosive, high-stakes traffic jam" in Israeli airspace. This required synchronizing operations in two languages while managing ongoing civilian flights and preparing for a second wave of strikes. Concurrently, air defense systems were on high alert for incoming missiles and suicide drones from Iran and Lebanon, necessitating real-time calibration.

"The most crowded airspace ever, heavy radio traffic, aircraft flying in extremely close proximity - but that's what we plan for. We trained for this years in advance,"

a senior IAF officer explained. The operation also involved maintaining surprise for the initial strikes, with civilian aviation continuing normally until explosions were heard in Iran. Later, Hezbollah's entry into the conflict further complicated the situation with additional drone and missile launches, requiring advanced interception capabilities and simultaneous management of long-range threats.