Pia being escorted by typhoons from man to stn
 

Just breaking now

PIA stating for security reasons

7700'ed over North Sea, circled near GOLES FL160 then headed back, RAF fighter jets escorted it, just landed at STN

Essex police state an "incident has occured" on the flight.

It just landed and taxied north side to the 500 stands. Them Typhoons are noisy:ok:

Incident on the plane, and 15 levels of officials have decided the best course of action was to escort the plane from MAN to the London area?

There are incidents and incidents, of course, and the choice of STN may have a relevance dependent on the initial information and its processing. A clearer picture will no doubt emerge, as to whether that was the correct course of action based on available information.

It wouldn't normally happen, for example, if a pissed Swede was singing a little too enthusiastically.

Stansted is the airport of choice for the UK government to divert aircraft to in the case of a disturbance or hijacking on board.
"This is because its design allows a hijacked airliner to be isolated well away from any terminal buildings or runways, allowing the airport to continue to operate while negotiations are carried out, or even while an assault or rescue mission is undertaken. Staff at the airport receive special training for dealing with hijacks."

London Stansted Airport - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stansted is the designated airport in the UK for such incidents and has regular training exercises for those on the ground who will/might be involved in resolving the crisis. They know every hiding place etc etc to ensure that they have a successful conclusion.

Bringing the plane to STN is better than having it divert to a less well known (to those from Hereford) airport

The red icon indicates it was wearing 7700

Reuters: BRITISH SECURITY SOURCE SAYS EARLY INDICATIONS ARE THE DIVERTED PAKISTANI PLANE IS NOT THE SUBJECT OF A TERROR ATTACK

(of course, things can change: just like the "electrical problems" on 7/7 and the "small plane" on 9/11 but one should not jump to any conclusions either way.

He was already IN UK, so why drag him across the country into the London area? Why did they not do the same with the SAS flight who lost contact (a different tread in R&R)?

Unless the PIA flight is actually hijacked, that would certainly change the picture.

This covers a multitude of issues.

Wearing a 7500 would be far more significant IMO

Because this isn't a lost comms issue, I have read on other sites that comms were in use at all times, the pilots were in contact with the typhoons and were told by them to divert to Stansted.

It's there because this is something more than normal, and Stansted is equipped with the best anti-incident staff/equipment for the whole UK, including an incident apron that is isolated from other buildings and aircraft.

I've just heard that on BBC this is regarding a, "threat", by individuals onboard. I would play safe than sorry if I was the government/MoD and immediately divert it to an isolated place than a busy Manchester airport that has no preparation for this.

As others have said there are designated places for these things. You are going to either Stansted or Prestwick if somebody decides you need to be escorted anywhere.

They did, Prestwick is the other place designated for such flights.

Didn't know that, thanks!

Information received by BBC from an indviidual in Manchester caused this.

SAS flight diverted to Prestwick which has same standing as Stansted. Both are preferred airports for UK "at risk" flights. Not sure why you are trying to argue this point?

2 men arrested on suspicion of danger to an aircraft.

Essex Police - Boarded aircraft, 2 Arrests on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft

From Sky News

More here.

BBC News - RAF Typhoons scrambled after Pakistan Airline incident



Fighter Jets Scrambled To Passenger Plane

Two men arrested
 

Channel Four reporting that two men have been arrested on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft.

Two arrested after RAF diverts Pakistan jet to Stansted - Channel 4 News

Rather amusing that the ad under this thread is for "cheap flights to Pakistan". Mmmmm, maybe not!

Shouldn't laugh, I know, but the BBC News Channel has been showing a live feed from their helicopter over Stansted for the last 15 minutes, panning repeatedly across the airport and it has only just managed to home in on the aircraft's location.

I'm watching Sky and they've only just managed to find it as well. Mind you the weather's not great, but there aren't too many 777s at Stansted!

Probably pre-arranged protocol in case any pesky terrorists aboard are using their iPhones (other brands are available) to watch the SAS preparing to storm the aircraft. Surprise is everything... :)

Pia being escorted by typhoons from man to stn
 

Sky news also saying "source" claims two men tried to enter the flight deck

Pia being escorted by typhoons from man to stn
 

A witness speaking in Urdu to Pakistani station Geo TV, said that two men over 6 feet tall tried to enter the pilot's cabin.

Essex Police have confirmed that two men have been arrested on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft after the plane landed safely at Stansted.

Maybe it was the crew trying to get back into the cockpit after a kip in J class..........

Looks like the RH gear went off road as it taxied into the stand too:E or a wide heavy vehicle.

...because you don't want incidents like this buggering up BA and the like at Heathrow or Gatwick. Far better fouling up RYR and EZY operations.

A BBC reporter just said that the pilot 'hit the panic button.' I've now got a vision in my head of two big red buttons in the cockpit with the words PANIC and DON'T PANIC written on them.

Surely it would be PANIC and CANCEL PANIC? Alternatively, just a PUSH TO PANIC (guarded) switch?

Dak Man - :ok:

Piltdown, it's been explained that STN is the English airport of choice because ops can carry on and the staff there have been especially trained/briefed on what to do.

Do you really think the security services have decided to send potentially dodgy aircraft to STN just to bugger MoL off?

I think it's all rather sensible.

Semantics perhaps but shouldn't the crew have squawked 7500 and not 7700 as reported, or am I out of date on ICE codes?

7500 = hijack. 7700 = emergency.

So as far as can be ascertained, they used the correct one.

Semantics again but IIRC 7500 is Interference not hijack, (7600 Comms, 7700 Emergency).

What is it with these cnuts? We'd an incident on the approach to Kuwait when a passenger started standing up and shouting abuse at other pax. CC managed to get him seated before landing and I asked for police to meet us and arrest the guy whom, at that time, I guessed was an ethnically European Christian having a go at the locals.

By and by I suggested to the Chief of Police that a night in the cooler to teach him some manners might be in order but the Chief was reluctant to comply. Due mainly to curiosity I asked to see the man's passport. the Chief passed it to me and it was British but with an Arabic name; clearly an Islamic convert. Now that all was clear I just asked the Chief to hang onto him long enough for my crew to leave the airport which he obligingly did.

Upon our return for departure, our Kuwaiti agent said: "You know why they wouldn't arrest that man? He is Muslim convert."
NSS!

Actually 7500 by definition is Hi-Jacking.

See Section 2.6 of ENR 1.6