Israel scrambled fighter jets following an alert involving a passenger flight

The Israeli military was forced to urgently scramble two fighter jets after a passenger plane over the Mediterranean Sea transmitted a signal used in cases of a possible hijacking.

The incident involved a LOT Polish Airlines flight traveling from Warsaw to Tel Aviv. The flight was operated by the Bulgarian airline Electra Airways. According to preliminary information, the aircraft’s crew accidentally transmitted the transponder code 7500. This is the code used by the international aviation community to report a possible hijacking or other unlawful interference.

Upon receiving this signal, military services in several countries immediately sprang into action. The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense reported that a MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled after the code was transmitted. It intercepted the aircraft and escorted it as it flew through Bulgarian airspace.

Subsequently, the Israel Defense Forces also dispatched two fighter jets to intercept the civilian aircraft. “Two Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled toward the civilian aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea after a report of a loss of contact with the aircraft,” the Israeli military said.

However, during subsequent communication, the crew informed air traffic controllers that the emergency had been canceled. “This report was retracted during further communication with air traffic control,” explained LOT Polish Airlines spokesperson Krzysztof Mochulski.

After an investigation, the military concluded that there was no real threat. “There is no cause for concern regarding a safety incident,” the Israel Defense Forces emphasized. Nevertheless, it was decided to divert the plane to Burgas, Bulgaria, where Electra Airways is based. LOT explained that this decision was not related to safety but to regulations regarding the maximum allowable working hours for the crew.

Warsaw Chopin Airport also stated that the situation did not require any additional measures. Airport spokesperson Piotr Rudzki reported that, according to the Bulgarian airline, the incident was caused by a routine pilot error. “The Bulgarian airline reports a pilot error, so no action is required on our part. We are monitoring the situation; there is no indication of any external interference,” he noted.

As a result, the incident ended without any consequences for the passengers or crew. Despite a large-scale military response, no signs of a hijacking or other security threats were detected. The situation has once again demonstrated that even an accidentally transmitted distress code triggers an international response protocol, which calls for an immediate investigation of any potential threat in the air. This was reported by Al Arabiya.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on June 30 that U.S. President Donald Trump, during ceasefire negotiations, allegedly linked the Lebanese and Iranian conflict fronts into a single negotiating package, taking U.S. interests into account.