Two El Al planes report in-flight communication hijack attempt over Somalia
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Two El Al flights from Thailand to Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport experienced attempts to hijack their communication systems while traversing the Middle East. Apparently "hostile elements" attempted to divert the aircraft from their pre-determined flight paths.
The attempted hijackings involved hackers trying to infiltrate the planes' communications networks, a tactic aimed at rerouting the flights. The pilots, suspecting foul play due to the abrupt change in navigation instructions, quickly adapted by switching to an alternative communication channel and confirming their original course with air traffic control.
The identity of the perpetrators remains unknown, with speculation pointing towards either Iranian-backed Houthis or a group operating out of Somaliland, a region in the Horn of Africa not officially recognized as a state.
El Al has since clarified that these disturbances were not specifically targeted at their flights:
"In Somalia, there have been communication interruptions all week, not only for El Al planes, and the official authorities have issued instructions to all pilots that as soon as this happens with a certain frequency, not to listen to the instructions and to switch to another communication method."
