There was some excitement at the Manchester airport earlier today as a Royal Airforce Jet escorted a passenger plane onto the runway so as for armed policemen to board the plane after a distress call from the pilot about a bomb. Read below:
A man has been arrested on suspicion of making a hoax bomb
threat after RAF jets were alerted to escort a passenger plane to Manchester
Airport.
The Qatar Airways plane, flight QR23, was escorted in by an
RAF Typhoon following information received by the pilot from a passenger.
Police said the pilot had been handed a note about a
possible device on board. Armed police boarded the Doha to Manchester plane and
arrested a 47-year-old man.
All flights in and out of the airport were suspended for
about 25 minutes.
The RAF confirmed Typhoon aircraft were launched from RAF
Coningsby in Lincolnshire as part of its "quick reaction alert role"
when a pilot requested assistance.
Greater Manchester Police said the arrested man, who comes
from the North West area, was being held in custody for questioning.
Passengers disembarked the plane "as normal", an
airport spokesman said.
Josh Hartley, who boarded the plane at Doha in Qatar, said:
"When the escort came it was very scary - I'm pretty shook up now."
Passenger Matthew Cox told the BBC: "Armed police came
on and found a guy, searched him and made him stand up with his hands on his
head and took him off the plane.
A statement for Qatar Airways confirmed flight QR23 landed
safely at Manchester Airport ahead of its scheduled arrival time of 13:15 BST.
It said: "The crew on board had received a threat about
a possible device and Qatar Airways immediately took all the necessary
precautions to alert British authorities.
"The crew is now fully assisting police at the airport
with their inquiries."
Manchester Airport said nine incoming flights were diverted
to other airports, with five landing at Leeds Bradford International Airport.
"There are a few minor delays to outgoing
flights," a Manchester Airport spokesman added.
Witness Chris Phelan, 42, from Heaton Moor, was in his
garden when he heard the roar of a jet plane before filming it on his camera.
"I looked up and saw what looked like a Typhoon jet
flying close to a passenger plane.
"I live on the flight path so I'm used to seeing planes
coming into land but it's the first time this has ever happened in the four to
five years I've been here."
Aviation expert Chris Yates said information for passengers
was kept minimal for a number of reasons.
He said: "This would be to create an air of calm on
board the plane for all of the passengers and also not to communicate anything
to anyone involved in making a threat or anyone who might be associated with
that person."
Some relatives of those on board expressed frustration at
the delays, and said they struggled to get the latest information from airport
staff.
Passengers, including Josh Hartley who tweeted from on board
the plane, were later allowed out of the airport.
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| Passengers, including Josh Hartley who tweeted from on board the plane, were later allowed out of the airport |
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