Dubai: British fighter jets escorted a passenger plane into Manchester airport on Tuesday after the pilot reported that a suspect device was possibly on board, police said.
"An incoming plane has been escorted into the airport by the Royal Air Force as a result of information received by the pilot about a possible device on board," Chief Superintendent John O'Hare said in a statement.
"We don't know how genuine this threat is but it is absolutely vital we deal with the situation as a full emergency," he added.
The Ministry of Defence declined to comment.
A spokesman for the airport said the plane was operated by Qatar Airways.
A Qatar Airways spokesperson said: "Qatar Airways can confirm that flight QR23 from Doha to Manchester, an Airbus A330-300, landed safely at Manchester Airport ahead of its scheduled arrival time of 1.15pm. There were 269 passengers and 13 Qatar Airways crew on board.
"The crew had received a threat about a possible device on board and Qatar Airways immediately took all the necessary precautions to alert British authorities. The crew is now fully assisting police at the airport with their inquiries.
"The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is our top priority. As this is a matter of a police investigation, we cannot comment further at this time."
British Armed Police escorted one man off the plane, a passenger has told the BBC.
