Hungarian Jets Scrambled After Arkia Flight Lost Contact Over Hungary

An Arkia Airbus A321 flying from Tel Aviv to Prague briefly lost contact with civilian air traffic control over Hungary on Thursday, prompting Hungarian authorities and NATO to treat the incident as a high-alert event. Hungarian fighter jets were scrambled toward the Israeli passenger plane, flight IZ-281, after the communication failure.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said the country’s defense forces launched two JAS-39 Gripen jets on instructions from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre, which then placed the highest alert level in effect over Hungary. Magyar said the Israeli aircraft did not respond to civilian controllers’ attempts to reach it, but the fighter pilots established contact with the crew shortly after takeoff.

Arkia said the flight crew followed the approved flight plan and designated routes. The airline said that at one point, contact between the aircraft and Hungarian air traffic control was lost, and that Hungarian authorities decided to send a military aircraft to approach the plane, after which communication with the crew was restored. Arkia said the incident is under internal review and will also be examined with Hungarian authorities.

The airline said the plane continued to Prague as scheduled and landed safely, adding that at no point was there any danger to the aircraft, passengers or crew.