Video captures the moment the tourist airplane was led to London Stansted airport above the skies of Essex after being stopped by RAF warplanes and ordered to land in an emergency yesterday night over a security concern.
The A321 aircraft can be seen flying over Braintree on video after being forced to make an emergency landing at Stansted after being warned of a “bomb threat” against it.
One of the aircraft is thought to be one of the two Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon fighters that left RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and stopped the Jet2 flight headed for Manchester.
Then, in Stansted, up to 220 people were detained inside the plane while armed police searched it. The tourists were subsequently permitted to exit the aircraft at approximately 11.40 p.m., according to Essex Police, who stated no threats were discovered on board.
According to flight monitoring information, the Jet2 aircraft departed Dalaman, Turkey, at around 6:55 p.m. local time, flew across Europe, and crossed the English Channel at about 7:45 p.m. Just before 8 o’clock, the flight LS922/EXS46Y-operating airplane subsequently seemed to alter course.
The aircraft then made a U-turn and began to decrease in altitude over Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, according to monitoring software FlightRadar24. With the assistance of two RAF Typhoons, it proceeded to descend over Essex until making an 8.22 p.m. touchdown at Stansted.
In the midst of rumours of a bomb threat, it then taxied to a distant stand far from the airports, where it was greeted by armed police.
On video, several emergency vehicles, including fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars, could be seen parked outside the airport. The flight was led to the ground after a “bomb threat made to the aircraft,” sources inside the company told AviationSource.
According to flight monitoring information, the two military aircraft coordinated their movements with the airplane as it descended into the airport.
A Jet2.com aircraft from Dalaman to Manchester was diverted to London Stansted Airport this evening, Wednesday, October 12, according to a police representative who spoke yesterday night.
“Just before 9 o’clock, we learned of a possible danger on board the aircraft. It was led to Stansted Airport, where it was securely parked away from the main passenger terminal once it had arrived. While investigations were ongoing, the runway was closed for a brief period of time. Officers were subsequently able to determine that nobody on board posed a danger. The passengers’ further transportation was subsequently arranged, and the runway was reopened.
‘We can confirm that flight LS922 from Dalaman to Manchester diverted to London Stansted this evening following the guidance of the UK authorities,’ a Jet2 representative said.
Customers have now disembarked after the aircraft safely touched down and taxied to a distant stand.
“While our crews are working really hard to take care of clients, we would like to express our sincere regrets to everyone aboard for any difficulty or distress this unfortunate event may have caused.
Although a possible security concern was reported to the authorities, this danger has now been reduced, and the situation has been deemed to be over.
An RAF official earlier in the evening said that the organization had sent out planes to intercept a location “that was raising concerns.”
The RAF can corroborate the Quick Reaction Alert, he said. This evening, RAF Coningsby dispatched a Typhoon aircraft to intercept a worrying civilian aircraft. The plane was transported to Stansted Airport safely.
A representative for Stansted Airport told MailOnline that while the airplane was being escorted by military planes, the airspace surrounding the airport was blocked for a “brief amount of time.”
The runway was shut down and one inbound aircraft was redirected to make this possible, they noted, but the airport has already reopened completely.
A Jet2.com aircraft from Dalaman to Manchester was diverted to Stansted Airport this evening, they said.
The aircraft made a safe landing and is now securely parked on a stand far from the main passenger terminal.
“The runway was temporarily closed but is again open.”
WERE YOU TRAVELING ON THE JET2? Call 020 3615 4021 or send an email to jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk to let us know what occurred.