A Boeing 777 plane was operating as flight QR23 from Doha to Manchester Airport when the incident struck
A pair of RAF Typhoon fighter jets were dispatched last night after a Qatar Airways plane bound for Manchester Airport raised "cause for concern" en route.
The flight raised alarm among civil authorities upon entering British airspace, with jets launched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to assist.
The aircraft in question, a Boeing 777 operating as flight QR23 from Doha to Manchester Airport, prompted the Royal Air Force to activate a rapid response.
Whilst the precise nature of the concern remains unclear, it is understood that authorities believed there was a problem with the airliner.
The cause of the alert has not been officially disclosed by either the RAF or the airline.
The two fighter jets made contact with the Boeing 777 in the skies above Nottingham, where they took up an escort position alongside the commercial aircraft.
Unverified reports on aviation tracking websites have suggested air traffic controllers may have lost communication with the flight, though this claim has not received official confirmation.
The military escort is believed to have been stood down at some point before the Qatar Airways jet reached its destination at Manchester Airport.
An RAF spokesman confirmed the deployment, stating: "We can confirm that an RAF Quick Reaction Alert was launched for a Qatar Airways flight which was causing concern to civil authorities.
"The incident was resolved and the airliner landed safely at Manchester Airport."
As a standard precaution, emergency services on the ground were placed on standby ahead of the aircraft's arrival.
However, the Boeing 777 ultimately taxied to its gate without any further issues.
Manchester Airport's arrivals board recorded the flight touching down at 7.45pm yesterday evening.
An investigation into the incident is expected, with civil aviation authorities expected to work alongside the airline to determine what caused the disturbance.
It comes after a LOT Polish Airlines pilot collapsed in the cockpit shortly after departing Palma de Majorca early on Wednesday, prompting an emergency diversion to Milan.
The Warsaw-bound aircraft had been airborne for less than an hour when one of the pilots suddenly became unwell and lost consciousness, triggering an urgent landing at approximately 5am local time.
The fully loaded flight had departed from the popular British holiday destination before the crew member's condition forced the captain to reroute the aircraft to the nearest suitable airport in northern Italy.
