The sheer frequency of lightning hits I am certain is above chance. Therefore the aircraft 'attracts' lightning. The ionisation of the cloud induces an opposite charge on the airframe and therefore increases likelihood of a discharge to or via the airframe. Especially the pointy bits. Like a lightning conductor on a high building. Can anyone recall the link featured on pprune about 4 months ago showing a video clip of an aircraft struck by lightning at Nagano? A strike from cloud to ground or more correctly from ground to cloud can be seen to pass via the aircraft!
Not to pass close by but miss randomly as might be expected by chance.