Two Israeli Air Force planes reportedly flew "dangerously close" to a Ryanair flight above the Negev on Tuesday.

The IAF jets were on training flights when they approached the Ryanair passenger plane near Eilat, according to Army Radio.

The Ryanair plane was descending towards Ovda airport and had 162 passengers on board when the IDF jets flew across its path at 27,000 ft.

No damage or injuries were reported and, according to the Israeli media, the Ryanair pilots managed to avoid a crash by changing course at the last minute.

Ryanair said in a statement: “This flight from Krakow to Eilat Ovda was cruising at 27,000 ft in Israeli airspace when two military aircraft (over 3 miles away) were noticed by the crew ascending towards the Ryanair aircraft flight path. The crew notified local air traffic control and the military aircraft descended away from the Ryanair jet, which continued on to Eilat Ovda and landed without incident.

"These military aircraft were at all times over three miles away from the Ryanair aircraft, so the reports of a 'near crash' or 'evasive manoeuvres' are all false and invented. All passengers on board the Ryanair aircraft noticed nothing, since our aircraft never diverted from its cleared flight path to Ovda.”