[Smackeddie]

http://news.sky.com/story/1095214/fi...assenger-plane

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

A witness speaking in Urdu to Pakistani station Geo TV, said that two men over 6 feet tall tried to enter the pilot's cabin.

Other witnesses say the pair made a number of threats.

Essex Police have confirmed that two men aged 30 and 41 have been arrested on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft after the plane landed safely at Stansted.

There are understood to have been 297 passengers on board flight PK709, who were travelling from Lahore.

The aircraft - due to land at 1.30pm - 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.


Passengers were originally told they were being diverted because of bad weather.

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

Mashood Takwar, from Pakistan International Airlines, told Sky News that 25 minutes before landing Manchester air traffic control contacted the pilot after apparently receiving some information from British security services.

An MoD spokesman earlier confirmed that Typhoon jets had been scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

The aircraft is understood to be being held in an isolated stand at Stansted, but the airport is operating as normal.

Stansted, along with Glasgow Prestwick, is one of two UK airports designated to deal with emergency situations such as terror threats and has specially-trained teams.

[Smackeddie]

*considering the events yesterday in London, im thinking they may have jumped the gun a bit here but certainly did not want to get caught out so went all out on the defensive and have probably told all pilots to be on high alert this weekend. got em anyway we'll soon find out!

[gatagato]

According to a passenger, the aircraft's cabin crew said two men had repeatedly tried to get into the cockpit, and according to an airport source it was a fight that led to the aircraft being diverted.
Of course i have no idea, but something concerning must have happened, and regardless the incident was terrorism-related or not, it's much better to be overcautious than unguarded in these cases, especially because in most of the cases you find it to be a serious issue when it's too late.

[max_spencer]

Fuckin 'ell That's the length of my discuss, sorry

[GregK]

I think they handled it quite well

[ices]

When you're flying from a Muslim stronghold such as Pakistan, you're damn right you should be cautious about two fuckers trying to gain entry to the cockpit.

[happy]

The two Pakastani passengers who had threatened to blow up the plane now say they were only joking.