Passengers’ Nightmare: Plane Lands Escorted by Fighter Jets

A Ryanair (Buzz) Boeing 737 travelling from Sofia, Bulgaria, to London Stansted Airport, carrying 174 passengers, was escorted into the UK by German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets due to a potential security threat while in the air.

The incident began while the aircraft was in Serbian airspace, following a report that a “Palestinian passenger planning malicious acts” was on board. The Czech Republic deemed the threat “very serious” and denied the plane entry into its airspace. The aircraft was routed through a special corridor over Germany and escorted by fighter jets until it reached the UK.

Bulgarian authorities later confirmed there was no Palestinian passenger on board and that the tip-off was false. Transport and Communications Minister Grozdan Karadjov stated that the hoax was made by a person whose ex-wife and two daughters were on the flight.

The pilot decided to continue to London rather than make an emergency landing. The plane landed safely at Stansted and remained there overnight. A Ryanair spokesperson said the threat was resolved quickly and passengers disembarked as planned.