Althouse: "British police have arrested two men on a Pakistan Airlines airplane after RAF Typhoon fighter jets escorted it from Manchester Airport to Stansted Airport near London."

May 24, 2013

"British police have arrested two men on a Pakistan Airlines airplane after RAF Typhoon fighter jets escorted it from Manchester Airport to Stansted Airport near London."

"The plane was carrying 297 passengers from Lahore when it was rerouted. The Pakistani plane... was diverted over York and escorted back out over the North Sea and down the cost to Stansted...."

11 comments:

Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Looks like 297 passengers got their travel plans shot down.; 5/24/13, 9:32 AM
Achilles said...: The war on terror needs to end now. Obama says so.; 5/24/13, 9:39 AM
Kelly said...: Obviously the two men got lost and mistook the cockpit for a smoking lounge. I hope people don't draw any conclusions from this.; 5/24/13, 9:42 AM
edutcher said...: Well, at least the Few can still get it up.; 5/24/13, 9:45 AM
Lyle said...: They say it isn't terrorism, but some shouting.; 5/24/13, 9:57 AM
rhhardin said...: I don't get the escorting stuff, as to its point.

It must be low information theater.; 5/24/13, 10:02 AM
gspencer said...: A plane from Pakistan, a nuclear country, to a Western country. Hmmmmmmmmm,

Were their names Fat Man and Little Boy?; 5/24/13, 10:08 AM
Icepick said...: A plane from Pakistan, a nuclear country, to a Western country. Hmmmmmmmmm,

You're not supposed to notice things like that, gspencer.; 5/24/13, 10:12 AM
Anonymous said...: The geography is puzzling.

If the plane were truly over York, the nearest major airport would have been the one they diverted from, Manchester. So they flew back over the North Sea for a distance 5-6 times as long and then put the plane near the capital?

Normally the rule is to get on the ground ASAP...; 5/24/13, 10:32 AM
Larry J said...: Normally the rule is to get on the ground ASAP...

Without looking at a map, they might've wanted to avoid overflying populated areas or divert to an airport with better security on hand.

rhhardin said...
I don't get the escorting stuff, as to its point.

If they were concerned that someone might take over control of the plane 9/11 style, they might have to shoot it down.; 5/24/13, 11:33 AM
Nomennovum said...: The motivations of the arrested Pakistanis may never be fully understood.

Gosh, the 21st century has gotten just chock full of mysteries.; 5/24/13, 11:40 AM