A very strange and serious incident that took place in Greek airspace over the Aegean Sea was revealed Friday, when it became known that a Delta airlines Boeing passenger airplane was intercepted by two Greek F-16 fighter jets. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, May 19, involved a passenger airplane, flying from France to Kuwait, repeatedly failing to respond to the Athens Air Traffic Control communication to report its position after entering Greek airspace.

For over an hour the Delta plane did not respond to radio signals by Athens civic aviation authorities to acknowledge its course, compelling the tower control to follow international aviation procedures and characterise it ‘renegade’. Two Greek F-16 fighter jets were immediately scrambled and intercepted the plane, but the two pilots of the Delta plane continued to refuse to reveal their identity. The F-16s flanked the Delta plane and maneuvering in front of it, forcing the two pilots to switch frequencies and acknowledge their flight course to the Tower Control.