Overview
- LOT Polish Airlines flight LO155, operated by Electra Airways, transmitted the international hijack transponder code 7500 and briefly lost contact with controllers before communication was restored on Tuesday.
- Fighter jets from Israel, Bulgaria and Turkey were scrambled under NATO air‑policing norms to intercept and escort the aircraft after the alarm and the loss of contact.
- The Airbus A320 was refused clearance to land in Israel, turned back and was diverted to Burgas, Bulgaria, where passengers were removed, screened by police and cleared.
- Accounts differ on cause: LOT and the operator say the code was set in error by crew, while Bulgarian authorities attribute the alert to a transponder technical failure, and aviation bodies have opened formal investigations.
- Authorities will review crew working‑time limits and interception procedures to decide whether operational rules or equipment checks need change and to reduce the risk of similar high‑impact false alerts.