LOT plane lands safely in Bulgaria after hijacking alert

A LOT Polish Airlines passenger plane flying from Warsaw to Tel Aviv landed safely at Bulgaria’s Burgas Airport on Tuesday after transmitting the international hijacking code 7500. The alert prompted Türkiye to scramble F-16 fighter jets and apply aviation security procedures while escorting the aircraft. Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry said the aircraft transmitted the 7500 code while it was in Bulgarian airspace, before entering Turkish airspace. Turkish officials stated that although the flight crew reported no adverse situation on board, authorities implemented the required measures according to international aviation procedures, with two Turkish Air Force F-16s escorting the aircraft until it exited Turkish airspace. After coordination with Bulgarian authorities, the plane was cleared to re-enter Turkish airspace to land at Burgas, and the escort continued until it left. The ministry reported the aircraft landed at 5:12 p.m. local time. LOT initially said the incident resulted from pilot error in entering an incorrect transponder code, and added there was no actual hijacking. Turkish authorities said they continued monitoring the situation with relevant counterparts.