“Hostile elements” last week reportedly attempted to take control of communications on an El Al plane flying from Phuket, Thailand, to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.
The communications attempt attempted to divert the plane from its destination, according to the Jerusalem Post, although the plane arrived safely at its destination.
During the accident, the flight crew received instructions that differed from the aircraft’s established route, raising suspicions that the crew had been misled into potentially dangerous circumstances. The crew ignored these false orders and switched to an alternative form of communication.
“The riots are not directed against El Al planes and… this is not a security incident,” according to a statement from El Al. “The interruption did not affect the normal course of the flight thanks to the professionalism of the pilots who used alternative means of communication and allowed the flight to continue on its planned route.”
This communication incident occurred during a active area of the Houthis, leading some to believe that the Iranian-backed group was behind this diversion attempt. Some sources, however, say that a group from Somaliland is responsible, which is a fact, as the country sees more and more communications disruptions. Authorities have reportedly issued instructions to all pilots to switch to other methods of communication should a similar situation arise.