MANCHESTER, UK — Two Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to intercept and escort a Qatar Airways passenger airliner into Manchester Airport after National Air Traffic Services (NATS) received a threat at around 6pm on Friday
Mid-Air Intercept Over Nottingham
Flight QR23, an ultra-long-range Boeing 777-300ER registered as A7-BAJ, was en route from Hamad International Airport in Doha to Manchester Airport (MAN).
As the wide-body airliner entered United Kingdom airspace and prepared to begin its scheduled descent from 36,000 feet.
In response to the potential security threat, the RAF launched a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) protocol from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Two Typhoons, operating under the callsigns Rigid 11 and Rigid 12, were deployed to make visual contact with the crew.
The fighter jets intercepted the Boeing 777 over Nottingham. During the initial interception phase, the airliner briefly climbed to 39,000 feet while crew members and air traffic controllers worked to resolve the communications failure.
Safe Landing and Resolution
Once visual contact was established by the RAF Typhoon pilots and normal communications were restored, the situation was brought under control. The fighter jets escorted Flight QR23 down through its approach sequence toward the airfield.
The aircraft executed a safe and touchdown on Runway 23R at Manchester Airport at approximately 8:00 PM BST. Emergency ground services were on standby as a standard precautionary measure, but the plane taxied safely to its gate without further incident.
An investigation into the cause of the communication loss is expected to be conducted by civil aviation authorities in coordination with the airline.
