BUSINESS

Cathay Pacific Flight Intercepted by Hungarian Jets After Losing Radio Contact

Published: Jul. 9, 2026 3:55 a.m. GMT+8

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A Cathay Pacific passenger plane. Photo: VCG

Two Hungarian fighter jets intercepted a London-bound Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. passenger flight and issued a visual warning after the aircraft temporarily lost radio contact over Eastern Europe on July 4.

Flight CX257, an Airbus A350 flying from Hong Kong to Heathrow Airport, lost contact with Romanian air-traffic control while in Romanian airspace, prompting NATO to scramble jets under its Quick Reaction Alert-Intercept mechanism.

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On July 4, Cathay Pacific flight CX257 lost radio contact over Romania, prompting NATO to scramble Hungarian fighter jets under Quick Reaction Alert.
The jets issued a visual warning near the border; contact was restored and the flight continued safely to London Heathrow.
A senior captain suggested pilots may have inadvertently switched frequencies, noting communication dropouts occur almost weekly.

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Who’s Who

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.: On July 4, a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to London (CX257) lost radio contact over Romania, prompting NATO to scramble Hungarian fighter jets. The aircraft temporarily lost communication, but contact was restored, and it landed safely in London. Cathay Pacific confirmed the incident and said an investigation is underway.

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What Happened When

1:42 p.m., July 4, 2026：: NATO Quick Reaction Alert-Intercept duty jets received the scramble order after the aircraft failed to contact Romanian air-traffic control.

1:51 p.m., July 4, 2026：: Hungarian jets took off, issued a visual warning near the border, and returned to Kecskemét air base after contact was restored.