What happened
On July 4, 2026, Cathay Pacific flight CX257, operating an Airbus A350-1000 from Hong Kong (HKG) to London Heathrow (LHR), was intercepted by NATO fighter jets over Hungary. The aircraft, registered B-LXA, had temporarily lost contact with Romanian Civil Air Control while in Romanian airspace. Hungarian Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi reported that a QRA(I) standby aircraft pair was alerted, and Hungarian squadrons took off at 13:51. Upon visual contact, the aircraft re-established communication. Cathay Pacific described the event as a "temporary loss of communication" and confirmed the flight adhered to its authorized routing with no safety compromise. Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department expressed serious concern