Online rumours claiming that hundreds of migrants are flying into Manchester Airport on secret nighttime flights have been debunked as false. The claims appear to stem from a supposed interview with a 'whistleblower' that surfaced online.
The 'whistleblower' allegedly claimed that planes were arriving between 2am and 4am, several times a week, carrying 200 to 300 people from the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. It was also claimed that passengers were 'allegedly processed by Home Office staff rather than Border Force and taken away on unmarked buses'.
Claims examined
The source article referenced the aether private terminal at Manchester Airport. However, the terminal - used by celebrities and VIPs including the Prime Minister - only has enough space to fit 60 people and is routinely limited to just 12, the Manchester Evening News (MEN) reports.
The article also references 'hidden' exit gates, but the terminal is right next to the Runway Visitor Park. It goes on to reference flight 'transponders' being switched off, which was dubbed an immediate 'red flag' by readers.
No such flights happen
The MEN reported that no such flights happen. The airport does, and has done before, accept people on government-accredited repatriation programmes. This includes UK citizens coming from the Chagos Islands ahead of power passing to Mauritius.
There have also been well publicised government resettlement flights, including the now-closed Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the scheme to support Ukrainians, launched after Russia invaded the country. Those flights - of which there have been a few in the last decade - are operated by the Government, published in advance and trackable on flight monitoring websites.
Passengers on them have been processed through the airport's main terminals, not aether. A photo being shared online alongside the claims is understood to be of a plane at Birmingham Airport. The claims reported in a number of social media posts have been reported to the hosting platforms, according to the MEN.
Expert response
Martyn Cartledge, a published aviation author, said that although aether was 'a distance' from the main terminal buildings, it is not 'hidden away'. He said that any arriving or departing flight would be able to see it.
He told the publication: "If you switch off the transponder then air traffic control lose the detailed information of height speed and heading etc. Then they would be relying on primary radar alone. This is far from ideal and would provide, at best, significant challenges to air traffic control to keep aircraft at the required separation from others."
He said it was 'possible but highly irregular and could be termed dangerous'. The expert said it's not impossible to screen any number of people through aether, but to screen the numbers falsely claimed 'would take a significant number of hours' and pose difficulties for air traffic control with other aircraft.
There was no 'hidden exit gate, nor restricted roads', he added. "On a general note, Manchester has a massive enthusiast following," he said. "I can assure you if there were 'special flights' they would be all over it, as they would potentially be wanting to see the aircraft. Information like this gets out. It is simply impossible for this to be happening in complete secrecy."
