Attempted Hijacking of Israeli Passenger Plane Sparks Worldwide Security Alerts

External actors attempted to seize control over the communication network of an El Al flight from Phuket International Airport (HKT) to Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) on February 17. Israel's national airline confirmed the incident's occurrence one day later.

Out-of-Plan Instructions

During the flight, external actors on the rogue radio gave the crew a guide on the normal course of their set route. The abnormality of the situation led to questioning whether this changed guide was not an official instruction. It set the possibility that it could be someone who was trying to damage the aircraft, change the route to a dangerous area, or make a kidnapping attempt for the people on board. 

The crew of El Al flight LY 88, operated with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, became aware they were being misled. They did not obey the new instructions and switched to alternative ways of communication while noting down the data against other traffic controllers, which made it certain that they were being misled.

An El Al representative said the following to Israeli media:

"In Somalia, there have been communication interruptions all week, not only for El Al planes, and the official authorities have issued instructions to all pilots that as soon as this happens with a certain frequency, not to listen to the instructions and to switch to another communication method. Our pilots are instructed on how to deal with this incident, such as the problematic frequency, and how to handle the flight professionally when it happens."

This was not the first time this incident has happened. Kan Reshet B, Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, has mentioned that the "hostile elements" contacted the El Al pilots twice. The incidents occurred on flights from Bangkok (BKK) and Phuket to Tel Aviv.

The source added:

"The disturbances are not aimed at El Al planes and this is not a security incident. The disruption did not affect the normal course of the flight thanks to the professionalism of the pilots who used the alternative means of communication and allowed the flight to continue on the planned route."