Breaking News

[Onelife]

MOD Typhoon jets have been scrambled in connection with UK airspace incident.

Passenger plane inward from Lahore, Pakistan due to land in Manchester is being monitored...The planes radio setting has been turned onto emergency frequency.

[Dark Knight]

EmailRAF fighter jets have escorted a Pakistan International Airlines aircraft from Manchester Airport to Stansted Airport, a Ministry of Defence spokesman has said.

The airline has confirmed it was for security reasons.

There are understood to have been 297 passengers on board who were travelling from Lahore.

The plane was heading west towards Manchester when it was suddenly re-routed near York and headed back out to the North Sea, before travelling south to Stansted.

The aircraft has now landed, police have confirmed.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "An incident has occurred on an aircraft. Police and partners are responding."

"Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby have been launched to investigate an incident involving an aircraft in UK airspace," an MoD spokesman confirmed.

Sky correspondent Alastair Bunkall said: "It is potentially precautionary, it doesn't necessarily mean there is a direct or real threat. Sometimes this might happen simply because of an incident on board involving a single passenger.

"It would be wrong at the moment to draw any conclusions but an incident nonetheless that the military feel is necessary to carry out this operation to make sure that plane lands safely at Stansted Airport."

The aircraft is understood to be being held in an isolated stand at Stansted

[qbman1]

Comforting to know that the RAF are there when we need them

[GillD46]

I do hope this isn't the start of a new wave of terrorism.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Hope it's nothing serious - but a pain for passengers who expected to be in Manchester now and find themselves at Stansted!

And why Stansted? If this was a very serious incident, such as a bomb, is Stansted considered more disposable than Manchester? Or maybe that it's surrounded by countryside rather than urban area?

[qbman1]

I think they have better facilities to isolate potential threats there M&T. And it's relatively close to the sea so they don't have to fly in over heavily populated areas

[Mervyn and Trish]

Makes sense.

[Kendhni]

I must admit when I first read the story I thought they were talking about the BA plane that had an engine fire this morning.

I wonder if it is good common sense or a little bit of paranoia ... I suppose better-safe-than-sorry!

[Mervyn and Trish]

BBC News : Two men have been arrested after RAF Typhoon jets were launched to escort a passenger plane travelling from Pakistan to the UK, police have said.

Officers boarded Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709, which had been due to land at Manchester, after it was diverted to Stansted Airport.

Two men, aged 30 and 41, are being held on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft, Essex Police said.

[Kendhni]

There have been a few mid-air incidents, often involving alcohol, and/or someone who seems to think 'do you not know who I am' excuses their behaviour. I am more than happy for the airlines and police to take a very heavy approach on this since it is very scarey for other passengers and expensive for the airlines.

[Dark Knight]

I read somewhere that the fines for grounding an aircraft as a result of stupidity are huge??

[Mr-big-bits-mk2]

All aircraft having any such incident are diverted to Stanstead. The airport there is set up to deal with hijackings etc.

[Kendhni]

I read somewhere that the fines for grounding an aircraft as a result of stupidity are huge??

I wonder ift hey are being enforced though .. and that resolves the airlines issues ... but what about the wasted time of the other passengers ... in this instance 295 people for a period of maybe 8 hours at say a minimal £30 per hour is a lot of money (over £70K)

[Mo2013]

"Fighter jets are scrambled when there is a bomb threat, when there is a hijack, when the wrong transponder code is used or if an aircraft cannot communicate with the ground. Often the result is when there is an unruly passenger on board. What is interesting in this case is that it would appear that the aircraft was only 10 minutes from landing - these are initial reports coming in - when they decided to divert to Stansted. So to actually change a destination 10 minutes from landing would certainly imply that there was some serious incident taking place."


Apparently these guys wanted to enter the cockpit and got into an argument with cabin crew.

[Manoverboard]

... Apparently these guys wanted to enter the cockpit and got into an argument with cabin crew.

Perhaps they were hoping to take over the plane and crash it into something ?

I know ... tis pure speculation.

[Mr-big-bits-mk2]

Any aircraft in British airspace that calls a security issue is diverted to Stanstead. The reason for this is that it has the facilities to isolate the aircraft without effecting the regular running of the airport along with having personel trained to deal with such issues. Had the pilot have called in the report 2 miles form a Nothern Scottish airport it would have been diverted to Stanstead.

[Mo2013]

Horrible people, frightening all those passengers, not to mention the captain and crew. I wouldn't let them fly again, with any airline. Banned sine die.

[Dancing Queen]

All aircraft having any such incident are diverted to Stanstead. The airport there is set up to deal with hijackings etc.

I'm glad you've said that Mr BB because when I read this I vaguely remembered a plane being divered to Stanstead a few years ago ( a terrorist threat I think ) and the reason given at the time was because there is the set up there to deal with hi-jackings etc, no doubt there will be an update on the early evening news, at least there have been arrests and the passengers are safe, a little inconvenience is a small price to pay for safety.

[Mr-big-bits-mk2]

Had the plane have landed at manchester then there would be a good chance the whole airport would have been shut down until the incident was resolved.

[GillD46]

I read somewhere that the fines for grounding an aircraft as a result of stupidity are huge??

And quite right too.

[Mo2013]

Manchester is heavily populated around the airport but it seems that Stansted is especially for any incident of this kind?

[HK phooey]

The M6 is closed in both directions while police examine a suspicious vehicle. http://news.sky.com/story/1095311/part- ... us-vehicle

[Quizzical Bob]

BBC News : Two men have been arrested after RAF Typhoon jets were launched to escort a passenger plane travelling from Pakistan to the UK, police have said.

Officers boarded Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709, which had been due to land at Manchester, after it was diverted to Stansted Airport.

Two men, aged 30 and 41, are being held on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft, Essex Police said.

How long before they are offered asylum in the UK?

[Meg 50]

and London Bridge station:

http://www.channel4.com/news/terror-ale ... d-woolwich