An airline pilot was cruising at 36,000 feet over Switzerland when two Swiss Air Force F/A-18s pulled up alongside and the footage is extraordinary
Published on May 01, 2026 at 12:05 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on May 01, 2026 at 12:05 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
Amazing footage has appeared on Instagram showing an airline pilot cruising over Switzerland, when two Swiss Air Force F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets pulled up alongside them.
The footage was posted by Dutch pilot Malou on her Instagram page, and she is a Boeing 737 pilot based in Amsterdam.
She had just been cruising over Switzerland when air traffic control informed her that the jets would intercept the airliner.
The footage was remarkable, and it was an event that few airline pilots get to experience in their careers.
How the airline pilot was told about the F/A-18s
Malou gave an explanation as to why the two jets came to intercept her commercial flight.
“ATC informed us that our aircraft would be intercepted by two Swiss Air Force F/A-18s as part of a training mission,” she said on Instagram.
Exercises like this help to keep fighter pilots prepared in case they have to intercept aircraft for real.
In the video, one of the jets is seen on the port side of the Boeing 737.
It tracks the commercial airliner for a while, flying in formation with the passenger jet.
Malou was keen to point out in her post that this was fully coordinated with ATC and the Swiss Air Force.
“The situation was fully controlled at all times and posed no risk to our aircraft,” she said in her post.
With the mountains below, the video was truly spectacular.
The Swiss Air Force is a big user of the F/A-18 jet
The Swiss Air Force is one of the primary users in the world of the F/A-18 fighter jets.
At least 25 of the jets are currently being used, and they make up the primary fighter aircraft.
Eventually, the aircraft will be replaced by the new F-35 Lightning II from Lockheed-Martin.
Malou said that the two Hornets flew next to her airliner for a few minutes before flying away.
The fighter jets just settled in formation next to her jet before they moved off.
Exercises like this are not uncommon.
In 2023, young SWISS airline recruits got to partake in exercises simulating aerial intercepts.
Airliners were again intercepted by the jet fighters.
This also led to some remarkable footage, as well as providing spectacular images.
F/A-18 Hornet timeline
1974: The YF-17 design is selected by the US Navy to be developed into the Hornet
1978: The first prototype successfully completes its maiden flight
1983: The aircraft officially enters active military service with the US Marine Corps
1984: The US Navy accepts the jet into active fleet service
1986: These strike fighters see their first combat action during Operation El Dorado Canyon in Libya
1991: The fleet serves a major role throughout Operation Desert Storm
1995: The larger and heavily upgraded Super Hornet variant takes its first flight
2019: The US Navy officially retires the legacy models from active combat duty
Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
