“Hostile elements” tried to seize control of the communication network of an El Al plane flying from Thailand to Israel over the weekend, The Jerusalem Post reported.
The Israeli national carrier’s flight from Phuket to Ben Gurion International Airport ultimately reached its destination in Tel Aviv, the newspaper reported, despite the likely attempt to divert it.
The Post reported that this was the second time in a week that such an incident occurred to an El Al flight.
According to the Israeli broadcaster Kan, the incident took place over an area where the Iran-backed Houthis are known to be active.
The Houthis, a political and military group controlling vast areas of Yemen, began attacking ships in the Red Sea in October in solidarity with Palestinians.
The group has said that it will continue the attacks until Israel agrees to a cease-fire in Gaza.
Kan reported that a group in the unrecognized state of Somaliland may also have been responsible, citing unnamed sources in Somalia.
The cabin crew became aware they were being misled when the instructions deviated from their set route, per Kan.
According to the broadcaster, the crew ignored the instructions and switched to an alternative means of communication, cross-referencing their data with information from other air traffic controllers in the area.
According to the broadcaster, there was “serious concern” that those involved intended to damage the plane, lead it to a dangerous location, or even kidnap people on board.
In a statement provided to Kan, El Al said that the disruptions were not aimed solely at its planes.
The statement referenced ongoing airspace sovereignty disputes between Somalia and Somaliland, leading to air traffic controllers in Mogadishu recently issuing safety advisories to international carriers in the region, according to the Horn Observer.
The airline also said the flight was able to stay on its normal course thanks to the “professionalism of the pilots who used alternative means of communication.”
The airline did not respond to a request for comment by Business Insider.
