The pilot of a Bulgaria Air flight from Warsaw to Tel Aviv mistakenly declared a hijack in the cockpit, triggering an Israeli Air Force scramble of two fighter jets, according to journalists Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio). The pilot immediately clarified the error, but Israeli authorities redirected the plane to land in Cyprus with its 180 passengers as a safety precaution.
The pilot of a Bulgaria Air flight from Warsaw to Tel Aviv mistakenly pressed the cockpit hijack button, triggering an Israeli Air Force scramble of two fighter jets. The pilot immediately reported the error, but Israeli authorities denied the plane permission to land in Israel and, as a safety precaution, redirected it to Cyprus. The flight, carrying 180 passengers, was later diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria after being denied landing in Cyprus due to airport congestion, a sequence of events that unfolded from the initial alert at 16:02 Jerusalem.
As The Zioneer reported at 16:02 Jerusalem, the initial incident saw fighter jets scrambled toward a civilian airliner over the Mediterranean after a report of lost contact. Subsequent reports at 16:02 Jerusalem identified the pilot's mistaken hijack alert as the cause, with the flight initially diverted to Cyprus. An IDF bulletin at 16:35 Jerusalem confirmed that communication was restored and the incident concluded with no security concern.
The Zioneer has previously reported on two other civilian airliner incidents involving communication alarms: an Arkia flight escorted by NATO jets after losing contact over Hungary on Jun 13, and another IAF scramble toward a civilian airliner on the same day. The desk continues to monitor the sequence of events as the aircraft heads toward its final destination.
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