Israeli Arkia passenger flight loses contact over Hungary, NATO scrambles fighter jets

An Israeli Arkia Airbus aircraft experienced a temporary loss of contact with air traffic control while flying through Hungarian airspace, prompting NATO to scramble fighter jets. The incident occurred on Friday as the plane was en route from Tel Aviv to Prague.

NATO immediately raised its air policing alert level and dispatched two Hungarian JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets to identify and escort the Israeli aircraft. The jets located the Airbus, established visual contact, and communication with the flight crew was subsequently restored. Initial assessments suggest the loss of contact was caused by a temporary technical malfunction, possibly a "frequency fluctuation."

The aircraft was safely escorted through Hungarian airspace before continuing its journey toward Austria. It exited Hungarian airspace around 8:10 p.m. local time and proceeded to its destination without further issues. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that the system operated efficiently during the incident.

“

At a certain stage during the flight, communication between the aircraft and the Hungarian air traffic control unit was lost. To the best of our understanding, following the loss of communication, the Hungarian authorities decided to deploy a military aircraft that approached the plane, after which contact with the flight crew was restored.

Arkia confirmed the communication loss, stating, "At a certain stage during the flight, communication between the aircraft and the Hungarian air traffic control unit was lost." The airline added that Hungarian authorities deployed a military aircraft, after which contact was restored. The company emphasized that there was no danger to the aircraft, passengers, or crew at any point during the flight.

An internal review by Arkia is underway to examine the circumstances of the incident in cooperation with Hungarian authorities. The cause of the initial communication loss has not yet been definitively determined.

“

The incident is under an internal review by the company, which will also examine the circumstances with the Hungarian authorities. The aircraft continued its flight as planned and landed safely at its destination. We emphasize that at no point during the flight was there any danger to the aircraft, its passengers, or its crew.