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Lam Ka-sing

Emily Hung

A Cathay Pacific Airways passenger plane bound for London was intercepted by Nato fighter jets after losing communication with air traffic controllers over Romanian airspace, prompting Hong Kong’s aviation regulator to express “serious concern” and order a report.
The city’s flag carrier said on Wednesday that at no time were the aircraft or people on board in danger.
Flight CX257 departed Hong Kong on July 4 with more than 300 passengers bound for London’s Heathrow Airport, crossing the Black Sea into Hungary, about 250km (155 miles) south of Ukraine, according to route-tracking website Flightradar24.
When the plane entered Romanian airspace, it did not establish contact with the country’s civilian air traffic control, triggering the intercept by a pair of Hungarian fighter jets under Nato protocols, according to Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi.


“An alert was ordered for a Nato quick reaction alert (interceptor) standby pair of aircraft because a Chinese-registered A350 type aircraft travelling on the Hong Kong-London route, while located in Romanian airspace, failed to establish contact with Romanian civilian air traffic control,” he said on social media, noting the alert was ordered at 1.42pm.
“The Hungarian readiness aircraft took off at 1.51pm and visually warned the Chinese-registered aircraft near the Hungarian border, after which it established contact with air traffic control.
“Following the completion of the mission, the standby Gripen pair of aircraft returned to its base in Kecskemet.”
In a reply to the South China Morning Post, Cathay said that flight 257 had experienced a temporary loss of communication with local air traffic control, which resulted in “a subsequent interception by authorities in accordance with internationally recognised protocols”.
It said communication was restored and the flight continued to its destination as planned.
“The flight adhered to its authorised routing at all times, and at no point was the safety of the aircraft or those on board compromised,” the airline said.
“The crew reported the occurrence immediately, and it remains under investigation at this time.”

Neither Cathay nor the Hungarian defence minister specified how long the flight was out of contact with Romanian civil traffic air control.
In response to SCMP queries, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) said Cathay had reported the incident.
“Preliminary information indicated that the incident was related to a temporary loss of communication. [The] CAD expressed serious concern about the incident and has followed up with the airline in accordance with established protocols,” the department said.
“[The] CAD has requested the airline to submit a report … within one week.”
Days after the intercept, Russia unleashed fresh strikes on Ukraine, resulting in seven deaths.
Kyiv said it had also hit several Russian tankers just hours ahead of a meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky at a Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey.


Nato, a political and military alliance of 32 North American and European countries, states its primary goal is to protect the freedom and security of its members through cooperation and collective defence.
In June, Hungarian fighter jets were scrambled to intercept an Israeli passenger jet that was temporarily unable to contact local air traffic control, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar wrote on Facebook.
The Arkia flight, from Tel Aviv in Israel to the Czech Republic capital of Prague, triggered Nato’s “highest level of alert” after crossing into Hungarian airspace, but the flight completed its journey safely, he said.
Independent aviation analyst Jason Li Hanming said that communication between an aircraft and the ground relied on wireless radio, which could be jammed due to various natural causes or human interference.
“[Geographically] Romania is close to Ukraine. It is highly possible that the radio communication was interfered with due to the conflict there,” he said.
“If you find someone does not react or listen to your command, interception is the only option. You are not sure whether it is a camouflaged fighter or a hijacked plane.”
Li noted that most aircraft flying between Asia and Europe that avoided Ukrainian or Russian airspace would have to fly over the Black Sea between Romania and Georgia.
In the event that air traffic controllers could not establish communication with a commercial aircraft, they would try a range of alternatives, such as communicating through other planes, before scrambling jets, he explained.
Li recalled that Korean Air flight 007 was shot down by a Soviet fighter jet in 1983 after flying hundreds of kilometres off course and being treated as an American spy plane.

All 269 people on board, including 12 Hongkongers, died, with the incident souring relations between the US and the Soviet Union.
Separately, Cathay announced that it would reduce fuel surcharges for flights between Hong Kong and the southwest Pacific, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa by 17 per cent to HK$965 (US$123) from July 16.
The move will bring the surcharge below HK$1,000 for the first time since the US-Israel war with Iran broke out on February 28.
The fuel surcharge for flights between Hong Kong and South Asia will also be cut by 17.19 per cent to HK$448 from July 16.
The latest round of reductions marks the second in July so far.


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Cathay Pacific ordered to submit report after Hungarian fighter jets intercept plane

A Cathay A350-1000. A flight was intercepted by Hungarian fighter jets over the weekend. Photo: Handout

Hungarian defence minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi shared the news in a social media post. Photo: EPA

The aftermath of Russian strikes on a suburb in Kyiv. Photo: AFP

Hungarian fighter jets intercepted a Cathay Pacific Airways passenger plane bound for London over the weekend. Photo: Handout

The Nato alert prompted the scrambling of Hungarian fighter jets. Photo: dpa

Cathay has said it is investigating the incident. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

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A Cathay Pacific Airways flight arriving in Hong Kong from India was seen emitting smoke. Photo: Eugene Lee

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Hong Kong

Transport

City’s flag carrier says London-bound flight temporarily lost communication with local air traffic control, but was never in danger


City’s flag carrier says London-bound flight temporarily lost communication with local air traffic control, but was never in danger.


Cathay Pacific

Hungary

Romania

Cathay Pacific ordered to submit report after Hungarian fighter jets intercept plane

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}City’s flag carrier says London-bound flight temporarily lost communication with local air traffic control, but was never in danger

City’s flag carrier says London-bound flight temporarily lost communication with local air traffic control, but was never in danger