Heart-stopping video shows Wizz Air passenger jet skimming just yards over tourists' heads in 'lowest ever landing' at Greek island airport as it's revealed why the plane is flying so close to beach.

Dramatic footage of the landing was uploaded last week by a jet enthusiast who was positioned to watch planes touch down on Greece's Skiathos island.

Measuring just a mile in length and built yards from the sea, Skiathos Airport's landing strip is particularly short due to the island's geography, meaning pilots have to come in to land far lower than they would on other runways.

But even the seasoned plane spotters appeared shocked as the Airbus jet barrelled towards the tarmac and narrowly cleared the airport's perimeter fence.

The video opens by showing the plane in the distance cruising towards the Skiathos Alexandros Papadiamantis Airport over the turquoise Mediterranean waters.

Several people are shown to have gathered on the beach and a road that runs along a narrow bit of land between the sea and the runway.

As the Wizz Air-operated Airbus A321neo approaches, however, it is clear that the pilot is bringing it in at a low altitude. One onlooker even begins to move out of the way in anticipation of a low landing.

Others are heard shouting out in surprise over the roar of the engines as the pink and white jet swoops down until it is just a matter of yards over the heads of the plane spotters, and even wobbles slightly as it prepares for touchdown.

As it narrowly clears the perimeter fence, it is so low that it kicks up dust and sand into the air and ruffles the hair of one man who is seen in the footage flinching.

In another angle from a second camera, people's clothes are shown being buffeted by the gust caused by the jet. One young girl is even shown falling over backwards - knocked down by the force of the jet - while a woman loses her hat.

As this happens, the wheels of the plane make contact with the tarmac, and the pilot successfully lands the jet on Skiathos.

One aviation buff, commentating underneath the video posted to YouTube by Great Flyer on August 5, explained why the conditions meant such a low landing was necessary.

'High temperature and very short runway, you have to do a deep landing to maximize the available runway for stop,' they wrote.

'Low cost airlines operates with short turnaround times, if you overheat the brakes you mess up the schedule if the plane.'

One person joked: 'How many of the spectators do you think needed new pants?'. Another jested: 'A powerful hair dryer, isn't it!?'

Others congratulated Great Flyer for being able to keep his cool and capture the low landing from so many angles - while those around him were buffeted by the force.

'That was absolutely insane! Wonderful capture mate, awesome job!' one person wrote. 'Amazing capture and thank you for the multiple angles, that's exactly what I wanted to see as an aviation geek! Perfect,' another said.

Amid some suggestions that the landing was re