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Israeli Jets Escort Flight Over WiFi Terrorist Alert

Published 9 February 2026

Israeli fighter jets were scrambled Sunday to escort a Wizz Air passenger flight from London Luton Airport to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport after a false alarm over a suspicious WiFi hotspot name triggered security concerns midflight.

The incident unfolded aboard flight W95301, carrying passengers from the United Kingdom to Israel. According to officials, a child aboard the plane changed his parents' mobile phone WiFi hotspot name to the word "terrorist," possibly in Arabic. Another passenger noticed the name while attempting to connect to available networks and alerted cabin crew, who in turn notified Israeli security authorities of a potential threat. The parents were described in reports as an ultra-Orthodox couple, though no further details about them were released.

In response, the Israeli Air Force deployed fighter jets to intercept the aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, south of Cyprus. Flight tracking data indicated the plane completed three circuits in the area as security teams assessed the situation from the ground. The jets shadowed the commercial airliner until it was cleared to proceed, ensuring a safe approach to Ben Gurion Airport.

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