RAF Jets Intercept Jet2 Flight
On Saturday 23rd June 2 RAF Eurofighter Typhoons was scrambled for a QRA from RAF Coningsby.
The typhoon was reported at supersonic speeds on its way to the incident. The jet then began circling over Stansted Airport just north of London.
The incident which resulted in the need of RAF jets to be scrambled happening on board a Jet2 flight that was departing Stansted Airport to Dalaman Turkey. The aircraft was forced to turn back and land at Stansted. According to Essex police, 25-year old women was arrested on suspicion of assault & endangering an aircraft. Many people reported the women as attempting to gain access to the cockpit but it is yet to be confirmed by police that this took place.
QRA Process
The RAF maintains a Quick Reaction Alert 365 days of the year to deal with threats to UK airspace. The national air defence operations centre collects information from various radar sites & civilian air traffic agencies. If the threat is sufficient enough to require typhoons to be scrambled, the order is then passed onto RAF Boulmer & RAF Scampton. These bases have contact with both RAF Lossiemouth & RAF Coningsby the two UK QRA bases. They pass on the scramble message to the base which is closest to the threat. Pilots at the other base are alerted in case the threat is in their area of operations. A RAF Voyager tanker is also ordered to take off from RAF Brize Norton in order to provide the typhoons with fuel so they can stay on station longer. Typhoon pilots will then deal with the threat in an appropriate manner.