Arkia said Saturday that its flight crew operated according to an approved flight plan, and that after contact was lost, Hungarian authorities scrambled a military aircraft that approached the plane, prompting the crew to re-establish communication. The airline stressed that at no point was the aircraft, passengers, or crew in danger.
Arkia issued a statement at around 16:05 Jerusalem confirming that the crew of its Prague flight followed the approved flight plan and that Hungarian JAS-39 Gripen fighters were scrambled after contact was lost. The airline stressed that at no point were the aircraft, passengers, or crew in danger and that communication was re-established after the fighters approached. The aircraft landed safely in Prague; the circumstances remain under review.
The first report from The Zioneer at 16:05 Jerusalem, citing Israeli journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12), stated that an Israeli aircraft had briefly lost communication with Hungarian air traffic control, prompting the scramble of two fighters. Later versions of the same story, also published at 16:05, identified the aircraft as an Arkia Airbus A321 and reported that NATO had activated its highest alert level during the incident. Arkia's statement, the latest in the thread, corroborated the sequence of events — loss of contact, fighter scramble, re-established communication — and added that the crew followed the approved flight plan.
As The Zioneer reported earlier on Saturday, the incident prompted NATO to activate its highest alert level. Hungarian fighters escorted the Israeli airliner until it exited Hungarian airspace toward Austria.
No further details have emerged about the cause of the communication loss or the duration of the alert. Arkia said the circumstances are still under review.
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