Hungarian fighter jets were scrambled Thursday toward an Israeli Arkia passenger plane after it failed to establish contact with civilian air traffic controllers while flying through Hungarian airspace.
Following the incident, NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center ordered the highest alert level in Hungary, prompting the country’s air defense forces to send two JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets toward the aircraft.
Hungarian officials said the Israeli Airbus A321 was operating Arkia flight IZ-281 from Tel Aviv to Prague when it failed to respond to attempts by civilian air traffic control to contact it. The jets were scrambled on orders from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center.
The fighter pilots were able to establish contact with the Airbus crew shortly after reaching the aircraft. Radio communication between the plane and Hungarian air traffic control was then restored.
Under NATO’s standard air policing procedures, the Hungarian jets escorted the Israeli plane until it left Hungarian airspace at 8:10 p.m. The aircraft then continued on its planned route toward Austria and from there to Prague.
Hungarian officials said the country’s air policing service and NATO’s integrated air defense system “acted effectively” throughout the incident. Hungarian reports said it remained unclear why the aircraft initially failed to communicate with air traffic control.
Although such incidents are relatively rare, officials in Hungary noted that NATO air policing missions routinely include identifying and responding to civilian or military aircraft that fail to maintain required communication with air traffic control.
Arkia said in response that “the flight crew acted in accordance with the approved flight plan and the predetermined flight routes.”
“At a certain point during the flight, contact was lost between the aircraft and the air control unit in Hungary,” the airline said. “To the best of our understanding, following the loss of contact, the Hungarian authorities decided to deploy a military aircraft that approached the plane, and as a result contact with the flight crew was restored.”
Arkia said the incident is under internal review and will also be examined with Hungarian authorities.
“The aircraft continued its flight as planned and landed safely at its destination,” the airline said. “We emphasize that at no stage of the flight was there any danger to the aircraft, passengers or crew.”