An Arkia aircraft en route from Tel Aviv to Prague temporarily lost contact with air traffic control while flying through Hungarian airspace on Friday, prompting NATO to activate its highest air policing alert level and scramble two fighter jets to identify and escort the aircraft.
The brief security incident unfolded after the Arkia Airbus suddenly lost radio contact with air traffic controllers while passing through Hungarian airspace. In response, NATO immediately raised its alert status, and Hungary dispatched two JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets to investigate.
The fighter jets located the Israeli aircraft, approached it, and established visual contact. Communication with the flight crew was subsequently restored. According to initial assessments, the incident was likely caused by a temporary technical malfunction, described as a “frequency fluctuation.”
The aircraft was then safely escorted through Hungarian airspace before continuing toward Austria. It exited Hungarian airspace at approximately 8:10 p.m. local time and proceeded to its destination without further incident.
Officials said NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center coordinated the response, while Hungarian authorities confirmed that standard air policing procedures were followed throughout the event. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said that “the system operated efficiently throughout the incident.”
Authorities have not yet determined why the aircraft initially lost contact with air traffic control. No additional operational disruptions were reported, and the incident did not trigger any further escalation.
“The flight crew operated in accordance with the approved flight plan and along the predetermined flight routes. At a certain stage during the flight, communication between the aircraft and the Hungarian air traffic control unit was lost,” Arkia said.
“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.
“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.”
