Erroneous hijack alert on a flight to Tel Aviv triggered fighter escorts and an emergency landing

A LOT Polish Airlines commercial flight from Warsaw to Tel Aviv was diverted to Burgas, Bulgaria, on Tuesday after a hijacking alert was unintentionally triggered in flight.

LOT Polish Airlines flight 155, operated by Electra Airways, took off from Warsaw at 11:35 a.m. local time, then circled over the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Cyprus before turning around and landing at Burgas at 5:13 p.m., FlightAware flight path data showed.

In a statement to The Times of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said it scrambled two fighter jets after it was unable to make contact with the Airbus A320 aircraft, but that contact was restored amid the unusual mid-flight security scare. “There is no fear of a security incident,” the IDF said.

A representative for LOT Polish Airlines told Business Insider that the “mistaken” emergency transponder code was “subsequently canceled during further communication with air traffic control.” Bulgaria’s transportation ministry confirmed the false hijacking code to The Times of Israel and said Bulgarian jets were also sent to escort the plane.

It said a “technical failure of the aircraft’s transponder” signaled an “unlawful interference/hijacking.” Passengers were removed from the plane, screened by Bulgarian police, and brought to a holding area, where LOT Polish Airlines apologized for the “exceptional circumstances.” “The diversion of your flight to Burgas was caused by the unintentional activation of an onboard security alert,” the airline wrote in a note to passengers that was exclusively obtained by Business Insider. “In accordance with the applicable safety procedures, the aircraft was redirected to [an] alternate airport, so that the situation could be fully clarified with the relevant authorities.” The statement continued: “Situations of this nature are extremely rare and are not part of normal flight operations.

Nevertheless, the safety and security of our passengers and crew must always remain our highest priority.” LOT Polish Airlines told Business Insider that passengers were instructed to follow the local service’s instructions after the emergency landing and will be given further information as it becomes available.

The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Military jets are deployed to escort airliners under certain circumstances, like bombs threats, security alerts, and loss of contact with air traffic control.

An American Airlines flight from New York to Delhi diverted to Rome with a fighter jet escort in early 2025 after the plane received a bomb threat.