The Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched a large-scale security operation after a passenger plane flying from Warsaw to Tel Aviv was suspected of being hijacked. It was later revealed that the alarm was triggered by an international emergency code accidentally activated by the pilot.
According to "The Times of Israel," while a Bulgarian "Electra Airways" plane with 180 passengers on board was over Turkish airspace, the pilot accidentally activated the "Squawk 7500" code. This code is considered one of the most serious danger signals in international aviation, indicating an aircraft hijacking.
As soon as the signal was received, Israel's air defense system was automatically put on high alert. The pilot, realizing his mistake shortly after, contacted air traffic control and stated that he had canceled the alarm.
However, according to Israeli security regulations, explanations given by the crew via radio are not sufficient in such cases. This is because the possibility of pilots speaking under pressure from terrorists cannot be theoretically ruled out. For this reason, the incident was evaluated in accordance with full security procedures.
The Israeli Air Force immediately scrambled two fighter jets and intercepted the passenger plane. The fighters visually inspected the cockpit and cabin and simultaneously prevented the plane from entering Israeli airspace.
After the plane was denied entry into Israeli airspace, it was planned to divert it to Cyprus. However, Cypriot authorities did not allow landing, citing airport congestion.
After this, the crew changed course and headed for Bulgaria. During the flight, the plane was escorted not only by Israeli fighters but also by combat aircraft from the Turkish and Bulgarian Air Forces. The passenger plane eventually made a safe landing in Burgas, where the base airport of "Electra Airways" is located.
The publication reminds that this is not the first such incident in recent months. In February of this year, a similar security operation was carried out in connection with a "Wizz Air" flight from London to Tel Aviv. At that time, Israeli Air Force fighters were scrambled due to a threatening message received on one of the passengers' phones, and the plane interrupted its route and returned to Great Britain.