Fighter Jets Scramble After Transponder Glitch Triggers False Hijack Alarm on Tel Aviv Flight

A technical failure in an aircraft's transponder caused a false hijacking alarm on a Tel Aviv-bound flight, prompting Bulgarian and Israeli fighter jets to scramble. Bulgaria's transport ministry stated that the Airbus A320, operated by a Bulgarian company, transmitted a false signal of unlawful interference due to a transponder glitch. The jet was redirected to Bulgaria at the operator's request, where it was intercepted and escorted by Bulgarian jets. After confirmation of no real threat, the aircraft left Bulgarian airspace via Turkey. The Israeli military separately scrambled two fighters over the eastern Mediterranean after a report of lost communication. An airport official had earlier blamed pilot error, but the ministry's statement clarified the technical cause.