NATO fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a British Airways flight heading to London after both pilots allegedly failed to respond to air traffic controllers for approximately half an hour. The incident occurred while the Airbus A321, travelling from Pafos in Cyprus to London Heathrow, was over Germany.
Eurofighter Typhoons Deployed
Eurofighter Typhoons were deployed by the German military to examine the cockpit and confirm there was no threat. A source told the Sun: "You could hear the conversation between the British Airways pilots and a fighter jet pilot on the emergency frequency."
The source added: "The pilots wanted to avoid the passengers getting worried, and asked the fighter jets to stay behind the plane. But the order of the fighter jets was to inspect the cockpit so he had to fly parallel to the plane."
Inspection Successful
"The inspection was successful; no terrorism. The fighter jets stayed with the BA flight to the German border," the source said. British Airways confirmed there is no indication of any third-party interference with the journey, which lasted four hours and 20 minutes.
The flight, which was scheduled for 2.30pm local time on Saturday, ultimately departed Pafos International Airport at 3.41pm and touched down in London at 6pm.
BA Response
A British Airways spokesperson told the Mirror: "All of the procedures in place for situations like this were followed. Communication with air traffic control was re-established and the flight continued safely and as planned."
The spokesperson added: "We're looking into the circumstances to understand what happened."
Previous Incident
Back in July, RAF fighter aircraft were deployed to accompany a Qatar Airways service heading for Manchester Airport following concerns after the plane entered UK airspace. The RAF stated the aircraft was "causing concern to civil authorities", prompting the "RAF Quick Reaction Alert".
The jets were dispatched after ground control teams lost radio contact with the long-distance flight during its descent. Greater Manchester Police verified the plane touched down without incident at Manchester Airport. The alert was subsequently confirmed as a hoax, with police revealing a 14-year-old boy from the Bolton area, who was not aboard the aircraft, was helping officers with their investigation.
