Turkish fighter jets scrambled after erroneous hijack signal

ANKARA

Turkish fighter jets were scrambled on June 30 after a passenger flight from Warsaw to Tel Aviv mistakenly transmitted a hijacking alert midflight, officials and media reports said. The aircraft later landed safely in Bulgaria after the alarm was determined to be false.

The Airbus A320, operated by Bulgaria-based Electra Airways on behalf of LOT Polish Airlines, triggered the international emergency code for unlawful interference while flying over the region, prompting air traffic authorities to treat the situation as a potential hijacking.

The flight had departed Warsaw for Tel Aviv when it later circled over the eastern Mediterranean, near the Cyprus island, amid the security alert and a temporary loss of contact with controllers, according to aviation tracking data and officials.

As precautionary measures, Turkish F-16s escorted the plane through the country’s airspace.

Authorities later confirmed there was no actual hijacking and that the situation was caused by a technical malfunction or pilot input error involving the aircraft’s transponder system.

The aircraft was ultimately diverted to Burgas, Bulgaria, where it landed safely. Bulgarian authorities said the diversion was also influenced by operational considerations, including clarification of the emergency signal and coordination with air traffic control.