Counter-terrorism police have arrested two men after Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon jets were scrambled to intercept a Ryanair flight due to a potential threat onboard the aircraft. It is the third Ryanair flight in two months which was escorted by fighter jets.
Ryanair flight FR7364 was flying from Vienna (VIE), Austria, to London Stansted Airport (STN), United Kingdom, on August XX, 2020. During the flight, the onboard crew received an alert of a possible security breach. Two suspicious objects were found in the lavatory of the aircraft, alleged a passenger on Twitter.
RAF Coningsby station launched two Typhoon jets to intercept and escort the Airbus A320 (registered OE-LMB) to its destination.
30 AUG 1800z: Royal Air Force QRA Typhoons launched from Coningsby pic.twitter.com/6uREkbzCJM
— Mil Radar (@MIL_Radar) August 30, 2020
According to one of the passengers, following the landing, the aircraft was pulled up into a remote part of the airport before counter-terrorism officers surrounded it.
We are parked in a remote area. Nothing happening yet
— Joanna Czechowska (@JOCZECHOWSKA) August 30, 2020
Police arrested a pair of men, a 34-year-old from Kuwait and a 48-year-old from Italy, under the suspicion of potential terrorism. Two suspicious objects were also removed from the aircraft along with the suspects. The local police are investigating the incident for further details. No injuries were reported.
No but the police have come on board and taken two men away
— Joanna Czechowska (@JOCZECHOWSKA) August 30, 2020
As of August 31, 2020, the incident marks the third time within two months that air forces were scrambled to intercept a Ryanair flight over an onboard threat.
On August 17, 2020, a Boeing 737, registered EI-EKD, was carrying out flight FR1392 from London Stansted Airport (STN), United Kingdom, to Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL), Norway, when a bomb threat was declared mid-flight and two F-16 fighter jets of the Royal Danish Airforce had to escort the aircraft.
Likewise, on July 14, 2020, Ryanair flight FR1902 diverted to London Stansted Airport (STN) after an onboard bomb threat. The airliner was escorted by two RAF Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.
The Airbus A320 (registered OE-LMB) involved in the latest incident belongs to Lauda, an Austrian low-cost subsidiary of Ryanair. All of Lauda’s flights operate as wet leases for Ryanair as of June 2020.
