Royal Jordanian Pilot Sparks Outrage With In-Flight Declaration: "Jerusalem Is the Eternal Capital of Palestine"

A video published in recent days on social media, filmed aboard a Royal Jordanian flight, has stirred outrage in Israel. In the video, the pilot can be heard announcing to passengers, in Arabic and English, that the plane is flying over "Palestinian lands" and that Jerusalem is the "eternal capital of Palestine," while the aircraft is passing through Israeli airspace.

In the announcement, the pilot is heard saying: "Dear passengers, we would like to inform you that we are now flying over the Palestinian lands. For everyone who misses the city of Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Palestine, you can now see it from the left window. You can see Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock in its golden color, and Al-Haram al-Sharif."

Noam Party chairman, Knesset member Avi Maoz, sent an urgent letter to the head of the Civil Aviation Authority, Shmuel Zakai, demanding action against the Jordanian airline. Maoz described the incident as "serious and unacceptable" and called on the authority to respond decisively. "The use of Israeli airspace to spread messages that deny the sovereignty and identity of the state cannot be allowed to pass without response," he wrote. "Any entity operating in Israel’s territory or airspace is expected to respect its laws and sovereignty."

In his letter, Maoz demanded that the Civil Aviation Authority determine whether this was an isolated incident or part of a standing company policy, obtain official clarification from Royal Jordanian’s management, and require a public apology. In addition, he asked the authority to consider administrative and regulatory measures against the Jordanian airline, including a review of its continued activity in Israeli airspace. 

It is worth noting that Royal Jordanian does not currently operate regular flights between Israel and Jordan. The airline suspended the direct Amman–Tel Aviv route with the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war. However, its aircraft continue to pass through Israeli airspace as part of international flights to destinations in Europe, the United States, and the Far East. Even during the war, many Israelis flew with the airline after crossing the land border and boarding flights from Amman.