Disruptive passenger detained after flight from Pakistan diverted
RAF fighter jets were yesterday scrambled to divert a Pakistan International Airlines plane to Stansted Airport.
Stansted said the flight from Lahore to Heathrow had landed in Essex at 2:50pm after being escorted by Typhoons.
Essex Police said the diversion had been due to reports of a disruptive passenger and was “not believed to be a hijack situation or terror matter”.
In an unrelated matter, a passenger due to be arrested by police on arrival at Heathrow was held at Stansted instead.
The Metropolitan Police said the 52-year-old had been arrested on suspicion of committing fraud offences in the UK and was being transferred to a London police station.
The Airbus A330 was held away from the airport after its diversion and Pakistan Inter- national Airlines said passengers were provided with surface transport to London.
Stansted remained open throughout the incident.
An Essex Police spokesman said: “An aircraft was diverted to Stansted Airport at around 3pm this afternoon while over Uk air space en route to heathrow Airport due to report sofa disruptive passenger on board … Officers are making inquiries. There is no disruption to the ongoing operation of Stansted Airport.”
However, Pakistan International Airlines said that UK authorities had received “some vague security threat through an anonymous phone call” regarding the flight.