IDF fighter jets were scrambled after airport authorities at Ben-Gurion Airport lost contact with a commercial flight on its way to Israel, the military said on Tuesday.
The IDF confirmed that communications with the flight were re-established and that a security incident aboard the plane was discarded.
"Two Air Force fighter jets were scrambled a short time ago towards a civilian plane in the Mediterranean following a report that contact with the plane was lost. The incident has ended, and contact with the plane has been restored; there is no fear of a security incident," the military said.
The flight, which originated in Poland and was operated by the Bulgarian company Electra Airways, was denied entry to Israel and diverted to Bulgaria, Israeli media reported.
Additional reports by Israeli media indicated that the plane's pilot diverted his route while flying over Cyprus and had a cockpit button that signals a hijacking, before being denied entry to Israel.
The incident is being investigated, and officials called it "highly unusual and dangerous."
El Al plane diverted on its way to Slovenia
Earlier this month, an Israir plane scheduled to land in Ljubljana, Slovenia, was denied permission to land and diverted to Zagreb, Croatia.
The decision was reportedly made by Slovenian authorities, whom the company claims were politically motivated.
Israir's CEO, Uri Sirkis, stated that this incident violated aviation agreements and EU laws.
Relevant Israeli authorities, including the Foreign Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority, were involved in efforts to find a solution that would allow the flight to proceed as planned, but those efforts were unsuccessful, Sirkis said.