Israeli Arkia Flight Loses Contact Over Hungary, NATO Jets Scramble

An Arkia passenger flight traveling from Tel Aviv to Prague briefly lost communication with air traffic control while flying over Hungary, prompting NATO to activate its highest level of air policing readiness. The incident occurred when the Airbus aircraft suddenly stopped transmitting radio contact, leading Hungarian authorities to deploy two JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets to investigate.

The NATO aircraft located the Israeli passenger plane, moved alongside it, and made visual contact with the crew. Communication was later restored, with early assessments suggesting the issue was caused by a temporary technical problem described as a “frequency fluctuation.”

The Arkia aircraft was safely escorted through Hungarian airspace before continuing its route toward Austria. The plane left Hungarian airspace at around 8:10 p.m. local time and continued to its destination without further issues.

Officials said NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center coordinated the response, while Hungarian authorities stated that normal air policing procedures were carried out throughout the incident.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said that “the system operated efficiently throughout the incident.”

Authorities said they are still investigating the reason for the initial loss of communication. No further disruptions were reported, and officials said the event did not lead to any additional security concerns.

“The flight crew operated in accordance with the approved flight plan and along the predetermined flight routes. At a certain stage during the flight, communication between the aircraft and the Hungarian air traffic control unit was lost,” Arkia said.

“To the best of our understanding, following the loss of communication, the Hungarian authorities decided to deploy a military aircraft that approached the plane, after which contact with the flight crew was restored.

“The incident is under an internal review by the company, which will also examine the circumstances with the Hungarian authorities. The aircraft continued its flight as planned and landed safely at its destination. We emphasize that at no point during the flight was there any danger to the aircraft, its passengers, or its crew.”