Breaking News Airliner Escorted Into Manchester Airport By The Raf

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/manchester-airport-fighter-jets-escort-3993974

[Jomlett]

Reports coming in that a note was handed to the pilot - the pilot then reported a possible device on board.

[anotheoldgit]

Since it was the Pilot who reported that there was a suspected explosive device on board, why was it necessary the RAF to send out a fighter escort?

There was little the fighter crew could do, and if it was just as an escort, surely the flight control would have been able to guide the aircraft to Manchester?.

[Jomlett]

Normal procedure, apparently.

[sandyRoe]

I think if the plane didn't go where it was told to the escort fighters would have shot it down.

[Jomlett]

reports that the flight carrying the Manchester United back to the UK from their US tour has been diverted because of the incident ...

[mikey4444]

Will the Man U team have to use minibuses to get back to their Bentleys, etc parked at Manchester ?

[Jomlett]

They are on a high!

[Jomlett]

Greater Manchester Police have just tweeted an update: "It's now business as usual at @manairport due to swift partnership response. Police still dealing with the matter as an isolated incident.

"The plane has been moved to allow specialist officers who are dealing with the incident to board."

[youngmafbog]

Presumably Mercedes mini buses though mickey. The poor darlings!

[Jomlett]

Passenger Josh Hartley has just told the BBC that armed police have entered plane and escorted a passenger off.

[Jomlett]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BuRuwAKIIAAQ7gC.jpg:large

[Jomlett]

The United team have now landed at Manchester ...
Manchester United @ManUtd

Home sweet home. Miami to Manchester complete. #mufc have arrived back in the UK.

[Gromit]

Mikey

United are still in the USA after winning the International Cop in the early hours of this morning. Van Gaal's first bit of silverware.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28649314

[Gromit]

^ ^ ^

Or perhaps they have returned home :-)

[hc4361]

Man arrested for fake bomb threat

[anotheoldgit]

All he said to his mate was, "this will go down a bomb when we get home". :0)

[ChillDoubt]

Sadly, there is no contingency plan for a b*llend.

With any luck he'll have to at least pick up some of the cost, though I doubt it.

[hc4361]

Two planes had to be diverted to Birmingham Airport from Manchester because of this.
I can't imagine how frightened the crew and passengers on that flight were.

It is time for long prison sentences for such offences.

[anotheoldgit]

It has now been reported that the plane was heading for Manchester anyway, so I ask again why the escort?