This is the dramatic moment Spanish fighter aircraft stopped an EasyJet flight carrying British tourists.
On Sunday, passengers on board flight EZY8303 from Gatwick to the vacation island of Menorca observed an F-18 aircraft out the window.
Video demonstrates how the fighter signaled to the EasyJet pilot by “tipping” its wings, which is code for “follow me,” before leading the aircraft to the airport in Menorca.
The aircraft, which had taken off just after 1 o’clock, landed at 4.54 o’clock, although it is stated that passengers were detained on the tarmac for four hours while “precautionary security checks” were conducted.
All passengers have since departed, according to an Easyjet spokeswoman, who did not specify what had raised the security warning.
EasyJet said in a statement, “The safety and security of our guests and staff is always our first priority. We appreciate our guests’ patience.”
Fighter jets often engage civilian aircraft when there is a threat to the crew or passengers’ safety.
Loss of contact with an aircraft is the main cause of intercepts.
Fighters will be sent out to intercept if ground control is unable to reach an aircraft’s pilots after many tries.
Another reason is an actual or suspected threat has been reported on board the aircraft – bomb threats, suspicious objects, or threats by passengers towards the crew will trigger this response.
In every fighter intercept, two jets will approach the civilian aircraft from behind.
The first plane will then stay at the tail while the second approaches and speaks with the civilian commander.
Alternatively, if the radios aren’t functioning, you can signal via the glass whether the radios are operating.
The captain of the civilian aircraft will be informed that they have been intercepted and should follow the fighters to the ground by a wing-tip maneuver.
Typically, that entails making a landing at the nearest airport, which may not be the intended port of arrival, depending on where the intercept occurred along the route.