Created Wednesday, Jul 8th 2026 19:03Z, last updated Friday, Aug 14th 2026 11:34Z
A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000, registration B-LXA performing flight
CX-257 from Hong Kong (China) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was enroute at FL380 over Romania when radio contact with Air Traffic Control was lost prompting NATO fighter jets to be dispatched to intercept the airliner over Hungary. Radio contact was re-established, the fighter jets returned to their bases and the A350 continued to London for a safe landing.
Hungary's Defense Minister reported two fighter jets intercepted a A350 on July 4th 2026 after the crew failed to contact Romanian Air Traffic Control. The fighter jets issued a visual warning as the A350 crossed into Hungarian Airspace, radio contact was re-established.
The airline confirmed flight
CX-257 temporarily lost radio contact with ATC.
On Aug 14th 2026 Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department (CAD) reported:
The Government has received and completed the review of the full investigation report submitted by Cathay Pacific Airways (CPA) in regard to an incident on July 4, in which a CPA flight from Hong Kong to London's Heathrow experienced a loss of communication with the local air traffic control unit during its flight.
The report indicated that the aircraft's communication equipment operated normally. The incident involved the incorrect selection of radio frequency by the concerned flight crew due to a mistaken response to air traffic controllers' instructions for another flight, and the flight crew did not subsequently realise the loss of communication.
After the incident, CPA has implemented a host of improvement measures, including enhancing the operational and monitoring procedures for the flight crew regarding the communication system, and reminding the flight crew to be more vigilant at all times.
CAD expressed serious concern over the communication loss incident and has instructed CPA to robustly follow up on the relevant improvement measures, including providing additional training and assessment for the concerned flight crew. CAD reiterated the importance of maintaining good communications between the flight crew and air traffic controllers at all times to ensure aviation safety. CAD has also instructed CPA to enhance the reporting mechanism on aviation safety incidents. CPA implemented the related improvement measures in mid-July and CAD will continue to closely monitor the effectiveness of the measures implemented by CPA.
Ends/Friday, August 14, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:30
Related Flight:
CX257,
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