A LOT Polish Airlines flight bound for Tel Aviv triggered a rare multinational fighter-jet response on 30 June 2026 after its transponder broadcast the international hijacking code β an alert that authorities later traced to a technical or procedural error rather than any genuine threat.
Flight LO155 was operating from Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion (TLV). The aircraft involved was an Airbus A320-231, registration LZ-EAB, operated by Bulgaria's Electra Airways on behalf of LOT under a wet-lease arrangement, carrying around 180 passengers.
A single code, three air forces
As the jet transited the region, its transponder transmitted squawk 7500 β the universal code that signals unlawful interference or a hijacking in progress. Automated air-defence protocols responded within minutes. Bulgaria, Turkey and Israel all scrambled aircraft: a Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 intercepted and escorted the A320, Turkish F-16s responded as the flight approached, and Israel scrambled two fighter jets toward the inbound aircraft.
A safe ending
The flight was diverted and landed safely at Burgas, Bulgaria, at 17:12 local time. The aircraft was parked away from the main terminal and searched by local authorities, who found no hazardous materials and no sign of any threat. All passengers were reported safe.
What went wrong
Bulgaria's transport ministry attributed the alert to a technical failure of the aircraft's transponder, while LOT and Turkish authorities indicated the crew may have entered the wrong code β pointing to human error. Investigators agree on one crucial point: there was never an actual hijacking.
The episode is a stark reminder of how tightly integrated and automatic modern air-defence responses have become, particularly along routes that skirt sensitive airspace. A single four-digit transponder code can put multiple national air forces on alert in a matter of moments β and, as this flight showed, resolve just as quickly once the aircraft is identified as no threat.
Sources: AeroTime, Simple Flying. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Elena Vargas.
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