Poland’s LOT plane lands safely in Bulgaria after false hijack alarm, Türkiye says

A passenger plane operated for LOT Polish Airlines landed safely in Bulgaria on Tuesday after a security scare that prompted Türkiye to scramble F-16 fighter jets, the Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Ministry said. The aircraft, en route from Warsaw to Tel Aviv, transmitted the 7500 hijacking code while in Bulgarian airspace before entering Turkish airspace. In response, Turkish authorities implemented international aviation security procedures and two F-16s escorted the plane throughout its passage through Turkish airspace. Although the flight crew reported no adverse situation on board, authorities continued to monitor the situation closely.

Coordination and safe landing

Following coordination with Bulgarian authorities, the aircraft was allowed to re-enter Turkish airspace after receiving permission to land at Bulgaria’s Burgas Airport. The F-16s continued to escort the aircraft until it exited Turkish airspace. The plane touched down safely at 5.12 pm local time, according to the ministry. Bulgarian and Israeli air forces also scrambled fighter jets in response to the alert, with Israel launching two jets after the plane briefly lost contact over the Mediterranean.

Pilot error confirmed

LOT Polish Airlines stated in its initial explanation that the incident resulted from the pilot transmitting the wrong emergency code, and that there had been no actual hijacking. The 7500 code is an international transponder signal indicating unlawful interference or hijacking, which prompted a coordinated response from multiple nations. The airline confirmed that the flight, operated by Bulgarian company Electra Airways, was safely rerouted due to crew working time limitations. Turkish authorities said they are closely monitoring the incident in coordination with all relevant parties.