A Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to London, UK, lost contact with local civil aviation controllers while flying over Romanian airspace last Saturday (July 4). This triggered NATO's quick response alert system, and neighboring Hungary, which borders Romania, scrambled fighter jets to visually warn the aircraft. The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department has required the airline to submit an investigation report within one week.
Romania and Hungary are both NATO member states. According to the Hong Kong Ming Pao Daily, after the aircraft restored communications with ground control, the Hungarian fighter jets withdrew. Hungarian Defense Minister Ruszin-Szendi Romulusz announced the incident on his Facebook social platform that same day.
Cathay Pacific confirmed on Wednesday (8th) that flight CX257 experienced a brief loss of communication with the air traffic control units en route. The respective authorities then, in accordance with internationally recognized procedures, initiated interception protocols. Communication was restored at that point, and the flight continued to its destination as planned; the crew immediately reported the incident.
The company stated that the flight operated along an approved air route throughout, and the safety of the aircraft and all persons on board was never compromised.
The company stated that the flight operated along an approved air route throughout, and the safety of the aircraft and all persons on board was never compromised.
According to information on the NATO Allied Air Command website, if any aircraft approaches or enters European NATO airspace without maintaining radio contact with controllers or filing a flight plan, this will trigger the quick response alert mechanism, resulting in the dispatch of interceptor jets to follow up. As per the protocol, interceptor jets will fly up to the left side of the aircraft and observe the cockpit. If communication is still not established or suspicion arises, actions such as forced landing or expulsion may be taken.
The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department stated that the airline had reported the incident to them. Preliminary information indicated the incident was related to a brief loss of communication. The department is treating this with great concern and is following up according to established procedures, requiring the relevant airline to submit an investigation report within a week.
Sing Tao Daily cited industry insiders as saying that the involved aircraft, an Airbus A350-1000, is the latest wide-body model in Cathay Pacific's fleet and is equipped with multiple backup communication systems. Therefore, such a loss of contact incident requiring a fighter jet scramble is extremely rare.