Passengers on a British Airways flight heading to London Heathrow were left shocked after two German fighter jets were scrambled to intercept their aircraft.
The incident occurred on Saturday, October 17, when BA899 from Paphos, Cyprus, entered German airspace and temporarily lost communication with air traffic control.
Jan, a passenger on the flight, said she first noticed the fighter jet out of the corner of her eye while sitting by the window. She said: “We were probably about three hours into the flight. I was in the window seat, sitting and reading. But I got that sense that there was something in my periphery. I turned and looked out the window and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. You don’t expect to see a typhoon jet just off the wing of the aircraft. I was a bit dazed, and I nudged the lady next to me. She looked out and then we were discussing it. Other people on the left-hand side of the plane had noticed it, and obviously we just reach for our phones these days.”
Why jets get scrambled
When an aircraft loses radio contact with air traffic control, military quick-reaction aircraft are launched as a standard safety precaution. Fighter jets intercept the airliner to visually check it is safe and to re-establish communications.
Lost-contact incidents are relatively rare and usually end without incident once communication is restored. There is no suggestion that anyone on board BA899 was in danger.
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