British fighter jets scrambled in London after flight from TLV goes silent
Hundreds of London-area residents were shocked awake at around 4:20 am on Sunday by supersonic booms from the Royal Air Force fighter jets after the flight from TLV went silent.
By TZVI JOFFREAn RAF Typhoon jet takes off during a visit by Britain's Prince William Duke of Cambridge to RAF Coningsby(photo credit: PHIL NOBLE/REUTERS)
British fighter jets were scrambled over London after a Boeing 767 that took off from Ben Gurion Airport on Saturday towards the US suffered a communications error.Hundreds of London-area residents were shocked awake at around 4:20 am on Sunday by supersonic booms from the Royal Air Force fighter jets after the plane lost connection between the pilots and air traffic control, according to Sky News.Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service stated that it had received "a large number of calls from across the whole of Hertfordshire regarding a large explosion sound." Metropolitan Police stressed that there was "no cause for concern."The plane that caused the incident was previously a part of El Al's fleet, but was recently sold to a German leasing company, according to Ynet news. At 2:00 pm Israel time, the plane was continuing on its way to Portsmouth in the US."Two Typhoon fighter aircraft from RAF Coningsby were scrambled at 0409 this morning as part of the UK's Quick Reaction Alert procedures after an aircraft lost communications in UK airspace," said an RAF spokesperson, according to Sky News. "The aircraft was intercepted and its communications were subsequently re-established."In February, El Al retired its last remaining ER-767-300 after 36 years of service, according to Globes. In April, the company signed a memorandum of understanding in order to sell a 767 to a foreign airline whose identity was not disclosed for a $5.1 million capital gain.In September, IAF fighter jets took part in the 20-day Cobra Warrior exercise in the UK along with 50 aircraft of various types from the British, German, Italian and American air forces.It was the first time that Israeli fighter jets were deployed to the United Kingdom and the first exercise of the IAF and RAF of this magnitude.Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.
