TWO QUESTIONED OVER MID-AIR 'FIGHT'

ABOVE: The Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709 bound for Manchester from Lahore, at Stansted Airpo

25th May 2013

Two men are being questioned on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft after an RAF Typhoon jet was scrambled to escort a passenger plane over the UK.

The plane, which was travelling from Pakistan to Manchester on Friday, was diverted to Stansted Airport, Essex.

Police boarded the Pakistan International Airlines flight PK709 and detained two men, British nationals aged 30 and 41. According to one of the passengers, the aircraft's cabin crew said two men had repeatedly tried to get into the cockpit.

Umari Nauman told Sky News: "The cabin crew informed us that basically they tried to come into the cockpit a few times and because they had been asked not to do that they got into a bit of an argument with the crew and made a few threats." She said all the passengers were ordered to leave their possessions on board before leaving the plane.

It is believed a passenger on the flight allegedly threatened to blow up the plane after other passengers tried to intervene in a row he was embroiled in.

The RAF jet was scrambled following around 10 minutes before the plane, which departed from Lahore, was due to land in Manchester at 2pm.

Superintendent Darrin Tomkins of Essex Police said armed officers entered the plane shortly after it touched down at 2.15pm and arrested the two men. The remaining passengers disembarked the plane under police escort. Mr Tomkins said that no "suspicious items" were recovered, and that officers were carrying out a forensic examination of the plane. The plane remained at a spot on the north side of Stansted Airport with flights carrying on as normal.

Essex Police said they were continuing to question the two men. The force said the rest of the passengers were interviewed by police while the aircraft was examined, before they were allowed back onto the aircraft with their luggage at around midnight to continue with their journey to Manchester.

It added: "Essex Police would like to thank all of the passengers for their patience, understanding and assistance as officers carried out their inquiries yesterday afternoon and evening."