The airline said the plane was climbing through 4000 feet when it encountered dense hail.

A Ukrainian pilot has been awarded a medal for his courage after he landed a plane full of passengers "blind" during a storm.

Alexander Akopov received the Ukrainian Order For Courage for safely landing the Airbus A320 at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport on Thursday after hail stones smashed the windscreen.

The Atlasglobal flight with 127 on board had just taken off from Istanbul and was en route to Cyprus when it encountered severe storms that pummelled the aircraft.

FACEBOOK/OLEG LUNGUL The crew reportedly used the side windows while landing the aircraft.

Akopov decided to return to Istanbul when the windscreen was shattered with hailstones the size of golf balls, The Telegraph reported.

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A video filmed at the airport shows the plane coming into land with shocked employees reportedly saying: "It won't be able to land, it won't land."

The crew used the side windows while landing the aircraft, the Aviation Herald reported.

"I have been flying for 30 years. Well, did you see the plane landing? Was it okay? The passengers are alive. It is normal. This is our professional reliability," Akopov told local media.

"Our locator did not show this weather disaster, this is why it happened. It was hard, but the main thing is that people are alive."