British fighter jets were scrambled to escort a Pakistani passenger plane carrying nearly 300 passengers from Lahore to England after an incident on board, British officials said today.
Essex Police boarded the plane at Stansted and arrested two men “on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft,” according to a statement from the police, which did not elaborate.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense said the Typhoons were launched to investigate an incident involving a civilian aircraft. It declined to provide further details.
Mark Davison, press officer at Stansted Airport, confirmed that the plane had landed safely and was on an isolated runway. The remaining passengers were reportedly being taken off the plane, and there were no reports of injuries.
Pakistan International Airlines confirmed that its Flight P709 traveling from Lahore to Manchester was involved.
Sources tell CBS News the pilot may have raised the alarm and been ordered to land after an altercation in the cabin.
It is standard protocol for flights involving potential terrorism in U.K. airspace to be diverted to Stansted, which is in a relatively rural area about 31 miles northeast of London.
Read more at CBS NEWS.
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Not to worry. Obama declared the war on terror is over.