Manchester flight passengers praise pilot as RAF Typhoon jets swoop alongside

05 February 2024 , 14:36

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Manchester flight passengers praise pilot as RAF Typhoon jets swoop alongside

Passengers on board a flight into the UK which needed to be escorted by two RAF fighter jets have told how those on board remained calm as the Typhoons came alongside.

Scandinavian Airlines Flight SK4609 which was on its way to Manchester from Oslo, Norway lost communications with those on the ground around 45 minutes before landing this afternoon. The RAF jets were scrambled "as per procedure" to accompany the plane as it was brought safely down, with emergency crews waiting on the tarmac.

Elliott Ottesen who was on board the plane told the Mirror: "We took off on time, everything was normal, it wasn't until about half an hour before we were due to land that the pilot tells us the RAF are running a drill and they would be flying alongside us.

"It didn't raise any alarms, people were all looking out of the windows and taking videos, people were generally happy and laughing, no-one thought this was anything out of the ordinary."

Elliott took this from inside the plane (Elliott Ottesen)

Elliott at the airport in Oslo today (Elliott Ottesen)

The 21-year-old student who is reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics at York, and says he flies this same route from Norway to the UK every few months, shared a video which shows one of the Typhoons flying close to his side of the plane. In the background the pilot can be heard on the intercom telling passengers that the RAF fighter jets will stay around 100ft below them.

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The pilot also tells those on board: "We will be on the ground in Manchester in 30 minutes time, and I hope you enjoy the flight." Elliott added that it wasn't until the plane was on the ground and there were lots of police waiting that people realised something else might be happening.

The plane's route

He said: "We were still on the plane for about 40 to 50 minutes and no-one was getting off, it was then people started reading online and we were seeing the articles. I think the pilot did a a good job in keeping everyone calm and that was the general feeling."

An Royal Air Force spokesman told the media: "Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon aircraft were launched this afternoon from RAF Coningsby to intercept a civilian aircraft that had lost communications; subsequently, communications were re-established, the aircraft was intercepted and safely escorted to Manchester."

Kelly-Ann Mills