- British Airways flight was intercepted while en route from Dubai to London
- When planes cross borders they must alert authorities. This flight did not
- Two jets were scrambled to escort the flight until communications restored
A British Airways flight was intercepted by fighter jets over Hungary after it lost contact with air traffic controllers.
The BA108 flight was en route from Dubai to Heathrow when it was detected by the Hungarian defence ministry but reportedly failed to alert ground control to its presence.
Two Hungarian Air Force Gripens were reportedly scrambled to escort and identify the Boeing 777 after it passed over Hungary's borders unannounced on Saturday afternoon.
A British Airways plane was intercepted by fighter jets over Hungary after it lost contact with ground control. Communication was later restored and the plane landed safely at Heathrow (file photo)
Hungary is part of the flight's usual route from Dubai to London, which also passes over Turkey and Romania
According to air safety protocols, pilots must make contact with air traffic controllers on the ground when passing from one country's airspace to another.
Hungary was part of the flight's usual route from Dubai to London.
When the BA jet failed to do so Hungarian authorities reportedly issued their highest alert and the pair of fighter jets were sent to identify the aircraft and ensure it was making safe progress.
Two Hungarian Air Force Gripens, similar to the one above, were reportedly scrambled to escort and identify the Boeing 777
The Gripens reportedly took off at 12.55pm before the BA flight made contact with ground control. The jets returned to their base at 13.21pm.
A BA spokesman said: 'Communication was quickly restored with air traffic control and the flight landed normally at Heathrow.'
According to the flight's status on Flight Radar, it landed at 2.19pm in London.
There have been several similar incidents in the recent past where civilian commercial flights have inadvertently triggered high-level security alerts.
In October passengers on board a Monarch airlines flight from Madeira to Birmingham spotted fighter jets in close proximity to the plane after it lost communication over French airspace.
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