“CAD expressed serious concern about the incident and has followed up with the airline in accordance with established protocols,” the department told the South China Morning Post (SCMP) – adding that it has requested Cathay Pacific to submit a report within a week.
CNA has reached out to Cathay Pacific to ask whether it has filed an official report.
The incident came to light when Hungarian Minister of Defence Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi shared on Facebook on Jul 4 that a pair of fighter jets were scrambled under NATO’s quick reaction alert – after “an A350 aircraft registered in China, operating a Hong Kong to London flight, failed to establish contact with Romanian civilian air traffic control while still in Romanian airspace”.
Two fighter jets took off from base in Kecskemet city, around 86km southeast of the Hungarian capital Budapest at 1.51pm.
Fighter pilots “visually signalled” to the passenger plane, Ruszin-Szendi said.
“Following this, the aircraft established communication with air traffic control,” he said.
