 In 1949 , the airlines lifted many Jews out of Yemen to Israel in what became known as Operation Magic Carpet . C @-@ 46 or DC @-@ 4 aircraft were used for the nearly 3000 miles flight , From Eritrea to Aden then along the Gulf of Aqaba to Tel @-@ Aviv . The planes then flew to Cyprus in fear of the bombings . More than 40 @,@ 000 Yemenite Jews were airlifted by Alaska Airlines and other carriers . 
