Israeli jets scramble after false hijacking alarm on LOT flight from Warsaw to Tel Aviv
A hijacking signal accidentally triggered by the crew of LOT flight LO155 from Warsaw to Tel Aviv on Tuesday prompted Israel to scramble two fighter jets and divert the aircraft to Burgas, Bulgaria.
Incident overview
Flight LO155, operated by Bulgarian carrier Electra Airways with an Airbus A320 on behalf of LOT Polish Airlines, departed Warsaw Chopin Airport at 10:30 local time on 30 June. While in Turkish airspace the crew reported a hijacking alert. The message was later retracted during communication with air traffic control.
During flight LO155 from Warsaw to Tel Aviv, operated by an Electra Airways Airbus A320, the crew reported an emergency. The report was retracted during further correspondence with air traffic control.
Israeli military response
After the alert, contact with the aircraft was briefly lost. The Israel Defense Forces scrambled two fighter jets, treating the event as a potential hijacking. Communication was restored and the military later stated the incident was concluded.
Diversion and cause
The aircraft flew towards Cyprus but was denied landing permission there. LOT said that due to crew duty time limitations a decision was made to divert to Electra Airways' base airport in Burgas, Bulgaria. LOT spokesperson Krzysztof Moczulski attributed the false alarm to an incorrect transponder setting. Earlier reports from Israeli media indicated the pilot had accidentally pressed a button that sends a hijacking signal and then informed controllers of the mistake.
Due to crew duty time limitations, a decision was made to divert the aircraft to Electra Airways' base airport in Burgas.
Investigation
Israel announced an immediate investigation into what it called an unusual and dangerous incident. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
