A Qatar Airways passenger plane was escorted to Manchester Airport Monday by military jets that received reports of the aircraft carrying a "possible device."
The Royal Air Force (RAF) escorted the plane after sending information about the report to the pilot, according to BBC News. All flights in and out of the airport were temporarily suspended during the incident.
Great Manchester Police (GMP) said officers treated the situation as a "full emergency" since they did not know "how genuine this threat is."
Chief Superintendent John O'Hare of GMP said the police and other agencies would be at the airport on the airfield to deal with the situation, International Business Times reported.
"At this time I would urge them not to be alarmed," O'Hare said. "Our response will be as comprehensive as it is proportionate with the safety of those on board and in and around the airport our paramount concern."
A spokesperson for GMP said the plane was moved so specialist officers dealing with the situation could come on board. A spokesperson for the RAF said the plane landed safely in Manchester and that civil authorities were taking care of the incident.
At 2:19 p.m. UTC, GMP said officers at Manchester Airport haven taken a passenger off the plane, and that they were working to get other passengers off the plane as fast and as safely as possible, Mirror reported.
Qatar Airways confirmed soon after that the plane was flight QR23, an Airbus A330-300, traveling from Doha to Manchester, and that it landed safely ahead of its scheduled arrival time of 13:15. The airline added that the plane was carrying 269 passengers and 13 crew members, who received a threat about the device on board.
Passengers were allowed off the plane around 2:30 p.m. CTU, while a man who was on board was arrested on suspicion of making a hoax bomb threat. A man was reported soon after to have sent a letter to crew members that there was a "bomb" on board, and the pilot alerted air traffic control after receiving this letter. GMP confirmed less than hour after initial reports that the man was arrested in relation to the suspected hoax.
Passenger Josh Hartley tweeted live from inside the Qatar Airlines plane throughout the situation. He said he was "still kinda shaking" after being let off the aircraft.
