British fighter jets escort diverted Pakistani plane

LONDON, United Kingdom (UPDATED) – British fighter jets were scrambled to escort a Pakistan International Airlines plane to a London airport on Friday, May 24, after an incident onboard, officials said.

Police said the plane, which was en route from the Pakistani city of Lahore to Manchester in northwest England, landed safely at Stansted airport outside London after being diverted.

“The plane diverted to Stansted Airport has now landed at the airport,” police in Essex, where the airport is located, said in a Twitter message.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said that Typhoon planes had been launched from a Royal Air Force (RAF) base after the incident, shortly before the plane was due to land in Manchester at 1300 GMT.

“Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby have been launched to investigate an incident involving an aircraft in UK airspace,” the MoD spokesman said.

Two men arrested

British police arrested two men after the incident.

Police said the men were detained on suspicion of endangering an aircraft after the plane was diverted to Stansted airport outside London.

“Two men have been arrested on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft,” police in Essex, where the airport is located, said in a statement.

“They have been removed from the plane.”

Media reports said the incident was not believed to be terrorism-related.

After the plane landed, the MoD spokesman said the incident was now a police matter and “our involvement is over”.

Typhoon planes can be scrambled if the pilot or crew of a passenger aircraft sends out a passenger signal, he added.

“The purpose of going up is to investigate what the situation is,” he said.

“Often when a Quick Reaction Alert aircraft is launched the details are not known, but it is known that a signal has been sent.

“Part of the purpose of sending a Typhoon up is to have a look and see what they can see.” – Rappler.com